Choosing the Moral

The story of the loss of the 116 pages is basically a parable, and one thing that's both good and bad about parables is that many different lessons can be drawn from them. The good news is that, as we learn the story, we can learn whichever of a variety of lessons we need most. Whether the story is about trusting the Lord, the dangers of peer pressure, the consequences of sin, or the hope of reinstated blessings, is completely up to us. The bad news is that, as the teacher, I need to pick which lesson to focus on. Which, of the many possible lessons we could learn from this story, should I try to convey to the kids? At first, I thought I should pick whichever lesson I need most, but this lesson isn't about me. Unlike this blog, I'm teaching this class for others' benefit, not mine. But which lesson do the kids need? I don't know any of these kids well enough to make a logical guess.

But I know Someone who does.

I've decided that I'm going to pray about it. God knows which lesson(s) these kids need, and if I listen hard enough, He might be able to tell me which specific lesson I should teach. Of course, no matter what lesson I try to leave with the kids at the end of the class, the basic information will be the same. I'll tell the story mostly the same way, no matter which moral we're supposed to learn from it. I might emphasize some details over others, depending on which lesson we're going for, but the basics of the story won't change, which is fortunate, since the raw facts are what I've been studying about this lesson so far. Now, it's time for me to decide on the specific focus of the lesson, and I hope that the guidance of God can help me make the right decision.