the bad guy

BY CORNELIUS JACKSON

It comes as no surprise to me that most of my students do not respond well when disciplinary measures are implemented as a result of unacceptable behavior. In a moment, I can go from being inundated with hugs and hellos to being as unwelcomed in their presence as a nose pimple the day before prom — “Pastor C.J. — the bad guy!”

However, if a cold stare is my reward for my attempts to prepare my students for an even colder world that lies ahead, I’ll take it. And if I am not greeted when passed in the halls because I keep reiterating that passing grades are a by-product of doing homework, I’ll endure it.

Besides, when I was their age, I did the same thing.

But now, I labor to get them to embrace the counsel of Hebrews 12:11 which reads: “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”

Because I know this passage to be true in my own life, I am unapologetically committed to the betterment of my kids—both by “love and the rod” (1 Corinthians 4:21). So when the stares are stinging and dialog dies between me and a student as a result of a necessary chastisement, I will endure being the bad guy.

Because sometimes, the bad guys can be good guys in disguise!