The Forgotten Front Line Heroes

The last couple of years the words “front line heroes” have been used a lot to describe the heroes working hard in face of physical and mental fatigue, sickness, and uncertainty. They should be honored for the hard work they have put in to keep the rest of us safe and healthy. But what about the front line heroes fighting the spiritual battle day in and out? Feeling alone, forgotten, and unseen?

I want to share today something that’s near and dear to me and my friend Jes’s hearts. We are both married to educators, who are very gifted at their jobs. But both of our husbands have noticed a spiritual attack raging within their respective school systems. They don’t work at the same school or even within the same school system, and both have seen and experienced things this year that they never would have in years past. Satan has gotten his hold of the unbelieving students and teachers within the school system and is wrecking havoc.

I have split up this post into two sections. One written by my friend Jes and one written by me. Join us in fighting for and with our husbands and every believer in the school system through prayer.

Jes’s Heart for the Front Line Heroes

“Arise and shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.” Isaiah 60:1

Before I got married to an educator and had three small children, I spent time serving as a teacher and missionary in China. Someone may say that the “front lines of faith” are in these countries where Christianity is a minority. However, if someone in those places were to ask me who the “front line workers in the faith” are in America, my answer would be simple – Christian Educators and students in the Public schools.

Over the past couple of years we have seen that the “front line workers of the faith” in America have been highlighted to us all. Amongst the educators are healthcare workers, politicians, and military to name only a few. 

The Attack on our Schools

Psalm 10:4 says, “The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God, God is in none of his thoughts.”  As you continue on, Psalm 10:8-10 describes more of the approach and character of the wicked. ”He sits in the lurking places of the villages; in the secret places he murders the innocent; His eyes are secretly fixed on the helpless. He lies in wait secretly, as a lion in his den; He lies in wait to catch the poor; He catches the poor when he draws him into his net. So he crouches, he lies low, that the helpless may fall by his strength.”

David in this Psalm then moves to the power and promise of the Lord, “But YOU have seen it, for You observe trouble and grief, to repay it by Your hand. The helpless commits himself to You; You are the helper of the fatherless. Break the arm of the wicked and the evil man.” 

Jesus bore witness to the Father’s heart regarding children:

• “Let the little children come to Me. Do not hinder them. The Kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as these.” – Matthew 19:14
• “Start off children in the way they should go and they will not turn from it.” – Proverbs 22:6

As a wife of a teacher, I have witnessed the oppression that has come upon our school systems, teachers, and students. Violence, sexual immorality, greed, lying, stealing, disrespect, hatred, fits of anger, apathy, fear, depression, oppression, addiction, and defiance have been the characteristics that describe a day in the walls of many public schools. 

Join Us in Praying for our Front Line Heroes

As I witness many teachers who have the Spirit of God living in them cry out  in this time, I asked God, how can we (The church) help them? The answer was simple. Committed and united prayer. 

Any persecuted believer would say the same thing, “Prayer.” Our Educators, and Director of Education authorities, bus drivers, students and parents need prayer. We can never underestimate the humble and faith-filled approach of prayer. Oh how it pleases God!

Join me every Monday at 8 AM to pray for these people who are serving and attending the “front lines of faith” each day. We will gather together as a family of Christ to pray for our Education system including the children who the Lord loves.

God’s Promise

Psalm 10 ends with a promise that we can hold on to, “Lord you have heard the desires of the humble; You will prepare their heart; You will cause Your ear to hear, To do just to the fatherless and the oppressed, That the man of the earth may oppress no more.” 

In Luke 1 The angel of the Lord came to John the Baptists father (Zechariah) and told him that John the Baptist would come in the spirit of Elijah, that He would be filled with Holy Spirit and he would turn their hearts. Look at how their hearts would turn: 

“He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” Luke 1:15-17

1. Children’s hearts would be turned to God.
2. Fathers hearts would turn to their children.
3. Hearts of disobedience would turn to the wisdom of the just.

May this mission continue within the walls of our homes and also our schools. 

A Prayer for our Educators

Father, we trust your Word that says to be in Christ is to be free. Even when we are in a circumstances that may be oppressive, we are not overcome. The weapon of oppression shall not prosper against your people, including the teachers that boldly show up every day to love and teach these children. We pray that they will walk in the freedom and light given to them by the power of the Living God who lives in them. We thank you Lord that you have delivered us from being slaves to sin and you have given us hope and an eternal inheritance. I pray our students and teachers stand in truth and love and that school can be a place where You are loved and where neighbors love each other well. 

Cathy’s Heart for the Front Line Heroes

A hero is defined as a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. That is what teachers are to me. You may never realize what they go through if you aren’t one or don’t know one closely. I didn’t realize until I married a teacher, the stress, frustration, and unrealistic expectations that are placed on them every day. My husband, my brother, my sister, my grandfather, and every other teacher that loves the Lord is a front line hero to me.

What is a Front Line Hero?

As a believer when a Christian is serving in an oppressive and difficult mission field, they are considered on the “front lines”. They are serving in the undesirable areas for the sake of the Gospel. They endure discomfort, rejection, fear, and uncertainty to show God’s love to the least of these and the underserved areas.

Like Jes said above when I think of the “front line workers of faith”, I think of missionaries serving in the hardest places. But I think our perspective needs to shift some. In America and Europe, some of these “Christian” places are now becoming some of the hardest places to penetrate with the true Gospel. The Gospel still exists here, but a lot of times gets distorted by politics, mandates, or selfishness.

We need to still pray for those missionaries serving in those hard places. I do not want to negate what they are doing because it is honorable and a blessing to the Lord. But I want to broaden our idea of the “front lines” these days. Let’s exist with intentionality, seeing the spiritual war that is raging around us right where we are. If we become too complacent we will miss the battle that is ongoing in every believer’s life. And let’s start prayerfully encouraging those serving on the “front lines” right in our own neighborhoods.

The Decline

Since my husband began teaching about 10 years ago, things in the school system have been changing. Increased activity on devices, video games, and television seem to contribute to the decline. As well as the lockdowns associated with COVID-19. Something seemed to happen during that time when students were unable to go to school last year and the year before. This year the students have come back unruly and disrespectful, even at the once “nice” schools.

Jes’s husband teaches at an inner city school so he has always seen difficult things. But this year the level of rebellion and disrespect is at a whole different level. My husband does not teach at an inner city school and has also seen the decline happen in a different way in his school.

Tik Tok telling students to smack teachers and steal things from the school bathrooms, television shows encouraging “fight club” behavior in the school yard (I’m talking ELEMENTARY aged students), and “standing up for what you believe is right” is resulting in students ganging up and beating down helpless victims. This is just some of the behavior our husbands have been seeing at their schools, and I’m sure has been seen nationwide to some degree as well.

This leaves the students that want to learn and who are well behaved unable to learn because teachers struggle to control the classrooms, and their good behavior is overshadowed by the bad. And administrators can’t do much because the behavior is school wide – it’s become a culture.

What You Can Do Now

There are things we all can do NOW to help these teachers in the fight. I know it becomes hard to bear some days, just as it does for missionaries or pastors. And lies can easily creep in and take root making the teachers believe they can no longer do anything to make a difference. But we can help.

1 – PRAY – The single most important thing you can do is pray for your teachers. Maybe you have students in your home, pray for their teachers. Or maybe you know a teacher personally, pray for them. Pray collectively for every teacher that loves the Lord to be strong in their faith and every teacher that doesn’t know the Lord to come to know Him through their jobs.

Pray for the students of faith who are struggling to find who they are, how they fit in, and what they can do to make a difference. Pray for God to use them as a light in the darkness and give them boldness through His Spirit. Pray for revival in the schools. That the Holy Spirit would be moving and working even in the darkest places.

Commit to pray every Monday at 8 AM for teachers and students in the school system. This will be a collective unified prayer time for our schools.

2 – Talk to your students – If you have a student in the public school system, talk to them about what they are seeing and what is going on at school. Use this time to pray for them, encourage them, and give them practical advice. A lot of students probably feel pressured into these behaviors, and maybe talking them through will help them realize they don’t need to take part.

3 – Encourage your teachers – If you have a school aged student or know a teacher personally, have grace for them, offer them encouraging words, and maybe even gift them a small gift card or yummy treats for all they do. Sometimes teachers may come across harsh or cold to parents, but I promise it’s never anything personal. There is always some reason for why it has to be done that way, and most likely it is due to the nature of most of the students in the classroom. Give your teacher the benefit of the doubt that they are doing all they can to provide a well organized, encouraging environment for their classroom.

4 – Encourage your students to encourage their teachers – Honestly the things my husband cherishes the most are the handwritten letters from students. You know how amazing it feels to be recognized for your hard work. Teachers LOVE to hear from the students how they are learning and growing from them. My husband has some chronic health problems so he has to be out a lot or gets sick at school a lot. He always tells me of the students that show concern for him. His face lights up in thinking that someone in his classroom would even care for him.

Conclusion

Don’t forget Christian teachers and students as you pray. The school system needs them now more than ever! But it is getting so hard for some teachers that they are considering leaving teaching all together. Let’s rally around these teachers and students and lift them up in prayer and encourage them with the Word. The world needs these front line heroes.