"Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 10:32-33).

Most adults — teachers or not — have experienced a time when children were embarrassed to be with them. The sting of this rejection can hurt our feelings, but if we are to succeed as teachers, we must move beyond our feelings. We must address the issue of why our students are embarrassed and not become defensive or retaliatory in our response.

The apostle Peter had to suffer the consequences of a broken heart and a guilty conscience when he feared being associated with Christ. Three times he blatantly rejected the accusations that he was one of Christ's disciples. The rooster's crow echoed in his ears as he ran away in shame after cursing and swearing, saying, "I know not this man of whom ye speak" (Mark 14:71).

Are you embarrassed and afraid to say you are a child of God in front of your students? Do you keep silent when you should speak up for Christ in your class? Do you fearfully restrain from sharing the Gospel message that may bring salvation to a student who is lost because you don't know the right words to use?

Don't let Satan deceive you into denying Christ because of embarrassment or fear. The light of Christ needs to be shining brightly in your life and not dimmed by being afraid to share your Lord. May you be as bold as the apostle Paul who proclaimed, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth" (Romans 1:16a).

What ways have you found to share Christ with your students? How have you conquered your fear of witnessing in past situations?