Being A Model

THURS., AUG. 27, 1987, 6:08 AM
FARM, STUDY

Each person is, in some respects, a model for some others. I have made humans to be social creatures, which means that each of you looks to others for assistance, for companionship, for learning, and, yes, as models. It is rare that any person would be a complete model for someone else… that a person would be emulating every characteristic of his “model.” Each of you is, in earth life, an individual, and so there is a force within that denies any tendency to be just like another.

This means that you, in various aspects of your life, may be a model for some one or some others. Should you try to be a model? Yes… and No. You must know that you cannot live just for yourself. You live in relationship with others, and therefore part of your conscious living should include being the best model you can be. On the other hand to live too consciously as a model detracts from real living. As in most areas of life I urge you to seek a balance… one that is everchanging, so that it requires attention to the balancing more than to the modeling itself. (You certainly are not a model of attention this morning. Finish this task before you think of other matters.)

I tell you to be a model as a teacher, for some of your students will be teachers (or even are so now), so they look to you as one experienced in this profession, possibly emulating what you say and do. It would be good if all could learn names as quickly and as well as you do. This symbolizes a desire to know each student as a person and is a humanizing of the learning process. As you know, I approve of this, and call it an exercise of spirit.

You can be a model in your concern for the way students respond in class interaction and in your willingness to learn from others. Listen to each student as if she were the teacher, even when this seems unlikely. I listen to countless prayers, supplications, emergency calls and demands, and muses. As I have told you, I do not need to learn from imperfect humans, but I do. If I can learn from people, simple to very complex, then so can you. And you can model this for others, who will become career educators.

Your culture and the ethics of its educational “system” prevents you from being a direct model as a Christian. And yet being a direct model is not as important as just being a Christian, in all of the circumstances of life. As Jesus I sometimes identified Myself as the Son of God or the Son of Man, but I knew that most people would be more impressed with the way I acted… the way I was as a person… than with my possible divinity. My task was a tough one – to be a functioning man here in the earth AND to be God in human form. I could heal, but to what extent should I counter the normal functioning of the earth I created? And for what purposes? I needed to convey that I, as God, can act for the good of any person, even in miraculous ways. I also needed to have people know that miracles could not always be expected. I, finally, did not save Myself from the cross, and this is an important modeling action. Some unfortunate, harmful circumstances may be yours to experience. Spirit and close relationship with Me must carry you through.

Because of the crucifixion I didn’t have the opportunity, as Jesus, to be an “old” model. As an older Christian you have to imagine what I might have been like and therefore how you should be in the many facets of your life. It is an interesting challenge to be a Christian with experience, a teacher with experience, and a man your age in situations of modeling for young people who are not yet professionals.