One of the basic principles of Christianity is that we should be continually changing and growing as we attempt to be more like Christ. Yet our world today encourages an attitude of complacency. “I am wonderful just the way I am” is its rallying cry. One of your goals as a Bible class teacher is to reinforce that while we will never be perfect like Jesus, that should be our goal. Your students will need to be encouraged to constantly assess their thoughts, attitudes, words and actions to discover areas where they need to improve to be more like Jesus.
Chances are fairly strong that you will get confused looks or pushback from your students as you have conversations about change. As a teacher and mentor, it’s important for you to understand the change process a little better so you can help move your students to action. If you read any literature on change, you will five basic stages in the change process.
- Pre-contemplation. This could probably be called the denial stage of change. In this stage, your Bible students don’t even realize there is something that needs to change. This could be from ignorance of God’s commands or willfulness. With some students, this may be the most difficult stage from which to move them forward.
- Contemplation. In this stage, your students have begun to realize God expects a change in some area of their lives, but they haven’t decided whether they want to obey God and make that change. Some young people get stuck in this phase for years and even decades.
- Preparation. In this stage, your students have mentally committed to making a change, but still haven’t quite figured out how to do it. This is a stage where they may want your wisdom and experience to help guide them.
- Action. This is when your students start attempts to make the change. It’s important to remember this is a growth process. They won’t always be 100% successful at the beginning. It’s during this stage that they need your encouragement, so they don’t give up trying to change.
- Maintenance. This is the goal, although for some students any changes may take a lifetime. This stage is when a new habit is firmly entrenched and the previous bad habit is gone. Students may still need encouragement to avoid backsliding when tempted.
Talk with your students. What are areas in their lives where they think God might want them to change? Share this model with them. Where are they currently in the model with each change they want to make? How can you help them be more successful at making the changes they know God wants them to make? Giving your Bible students this tool set for change can make true repentance and spiritual growth a lot easier.
