It got me thinking about how do we keep students motivated in their walk with Christ. I know its not our job to keep working at encouraging our students to walk further along in their journey with God.
We have lots of options that could work:
1. Give them money
2. Students get tickets every time they do something right- they get to redeem them for prizes like belt buckles, puppets, or even a nice new coffee mug
3. Tell them they are awful human beings for not doing what they should do.
or
4. We could maybe, possibly, perhaps model a life that is exciting and God inspired.
Over my years in camp ministry and youth ministry I have tried everything. I have tried positive reinforcement in every way shape and form, some have worked well but none as well as living it.
My students have the biggest B.S sensor ever. We live in a community that is full of fake people, so my students have honed there radar. The thing that has worked best for them, is showing that I care.
If I am talking about prayer, I better be modelling it. If I am talking about reading the Bible, I better be able to talk to them where I am in the Bible and what I am learning.
For instance, we have been walking through the book of Galatians. I was talking about how I was reading the chapter 3. The next day a students text me about something Bible related, its a good thing I was actually reading Galatians 3, because the student text me about a verse in it. If I hadn't been keeping up with where I was saying I was, that student would have known I lied.
How are you living what you teach?
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