Economics … what is that and how am I going to teach it? Those were some of the first questions that entered my mind when I received my first call to teach at Metro-East Lutheran High School located in Edwardsville, Ill. I admit that I did not know much, if anything at all, about Economics. However, as most teachers can attest to, I learned as I went. I have heard it said that you should stay at least a couple of days ahead of your class and what you are teaching. That first year teaching Economics, it was about ten minutes after class had started. However, over the course of eleven years I grew to absolutely love Economics and had a blast teaching the subject to my students.
The most basic starting point in understanding the complicated world of Economics is the simple idea known as scarcity. Easy to understand, scarcity explains the fact that there are limited resources to supply unlimited wants and needs. Everyone would love to have a yacht, a house on the beach, and juicy ribeye steaks for dinner every night, but the reality is that there are not enough natural resources, manmade resources, and labor to make everyone a yacht, beach house, and steaks for dinner every night. This is the idea of scarcity. We will never be able to completely satisfy our desires in life because there will never be enough resources to do so. Scarcity is an unfortunate reality for every single human on the planet. Thus, Economics is all about the decisions we make as we deal with the unfortunate reality of scarcity.
So what about Jesus? How does He fit in to the idea of scarcity? Although we will always have to deal with scarcity for the duration of our lives, our “spiritual scarcity” is another matter. There are countless numbers of people who are constantly searching for an answer to their spiritual scarcity … how do I satisfy my soul, find inner peace, feel loved, live with a purpose, feel forgiven? What do we desire on the inside? Not the material possessions that the world offers, but the spiritual wealth that truly matters and defines a person. Jesus offers us a life that has a scarcity-free spirituality. Jesus died on a cross and rose from the dead defeating sin, death, and the devil. Our spiritual desires are fulfilled through Him. Consider these encouraging words from 2 Peter 1:3–4:
“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.”
Scripture tells us that Jesus gives us everything we need in this life. The salvation that is offered to us through Him takes away the sinful corruption on the world. When we put our faith and trust in Jesus, he supplies us with everything we need to be spiritually satisfied. One of the greatest aspects of our spiritual scarcity with Jesus is that there is nothing we can do on our own to eliminate our unlimited spiritual needs. Jesus has already accomplished everything for us on the cross! So, while we are on this earth, Jesus will eliminate our spiritual scarcity, and by believing in Him we will be raised to a new everlasting life and live in another scarcity-free reality: Heaven!
Lutheran schools are blessed with the opportunity to teach this truth. Jesus gives us everything we need. He loves us, cares for us, and forgives us. Knowing this truth that is taught every day in Lutheran schools can make a huge impact in a child’s life. Growing up in an educational setting where you are loved, valued, and continually taught to have hope in the love of Jesus is an amazing environment. More than just a school, Lutheran schools are families. They are families who focus on the love of Jesus while providing a rigorous and relevant education to equip students to be lifelong learners and Christian leaders.
Photo courtesy of Elisa Schulz Photography
