There was a season in my teaching career when I quietly wondered if I had made a mistake.
Not because I didn’t love my students.
Not because I didn’t believe in education.
But because I was exhausted in a way that sleep couldn’t fix.
It was one of those years where everything felt heavy.
Classroom management issues that never seemed to end.
Students who seemed completely unmotivated.
Constant changes in curriculum, policies, and schedules.
The pressure to do more with less.
Some days, I’d leave the school building feeling like I had given everything I had and still come up short. I would drive home in silence, staring at the road ahead, and ask God, “Is this really where You want me?”
I didn’t say it out loud to many people. But in my heart, I questioned my calling.
It’s funny because before that year, I had always pictured myself as a teacher who could handle anything. I prided myself on patience and planning, and I believed my faith would naturally carry me through tough times. But that year, I learned that trusting God in a hard teaching season isn’t automatic—it’s a daily choice.
What Trusting God Looks Like When You Feel Overwhelmed
Proverbs 3:5–6 says:
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.”
I had quoted this verse countless times in devotionals and Bible studies. But living it in real time? That was different.
I didn’t understand why my classroom felt so chaotic. I didn’t understand why my students weren’t responding. I didn’t understand why the changes I prayed for in my school weren’t happening.
My “own understanding” whispered:
- Maybe this isn’t working.
- Maybe you’re not cut out for this.
- Maybe it’s time to walk away.
But trust meant saying:
“God, I don’t see what You’re doing. But I’m going to keep showing up anyway.”
And showing up wasn’t always glamorous. Some days, it looked like sitting down to plan a lesson while my energy was completely drained. Other days, it looked like taking a deep breath before entering a classroom full of students who didn’t seem to care. Sometimes it looked like simply showing kindness to a student who had been disrespectful all week.
Trust wasn’t dramatic. It was quiet. It was consistent. It was daily.
Waiting on God When Change Feels Slow
Psalm 37:5 says:
“Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him, and He will act.”
I desperately wanted God to “act.” I wanted:
- A shift in school culture.
- Breakthrough with students who were struggling.
- Renewed passion and energy.
- Immediate confirmation that I was in the right place.
Instead, I got waiting.
Waiting for things to improve. Waiting for growth in students I couldn’t reach. Waiting for my own heart to feel steady again.
And here’s the thing I had to learn: God often acts in us before He acts around us.
While I prayed for my students to change, God was quietly working in me. He was shaping my patience. He was reminding me of His calling. He was helping me release the need to control everything.
I remember one day in particular. I had a student who was especially challenging—arguing, refusing to do work, and disrupting others. I wanted to lose my patience, but instead, I took a moment to pray quietly over him. That small act didn’t change his behavior immediately, but it changed my heart. I realized that sometimes God’s answer isn’t instant results—it’s transformation of my perspective and response.
I stopped praying, “God, fix this school.” And started praying, “God, form me in this season.” And that shift changed everything.
When You Question Your Calling
Isaiah 41:10 became my lifeline:
“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
There’s a specific kind of fear that creeps in when you question your calling. It whispers:
- What if I’m not enough?
- What if I’m failing?
- What if I misunderstood God’s plan for me?
This verse reminded me that my calling wasn’t sustained by my own strength—it was sustained by God’s. Trusting Him didn’t mean I suddenly felt confident. It meant I stopped demanding certainty. It meant I chose to believe: If He called me here, He will sustain me here—for as long as He wants me here.
What Trusting God Looked Like Day-to-Day
Honestly? It was way less dramatic than I imagined.
It looked like:
- Showing up even when I felt ineffective.
- Loving students who didn’t love the subject.
- Choosing consistency over emotional decisions.
- Staying when quitting would’ve been easier.
- Releasing outcomes I couldn’t control.
I learned to celebrate the small victories: a student finally asking a question, a quiet “thank you” from someone who had been resistant, a lesson that ran smoother than expected. These moments were reminders that God was at work, even when it didn’t feel visible.
I stopped measuring my calling by test scores or classroom behavior. Obedience? That stayed steady.
Over time, something surprising happened. The season didn’t magically become easy—but I became anchored in God’s presence. I learned that when everything feels chaotic, God is still faithful. He’s still working. And sometimes, the most important transformation is happening inside of you.
Lessons Learned from Hard Teaching Seasons
After reflecting on that year and others like it, here’s what trusting God in a tough teaching season has taught me:
- Obedience over outcomes. You may not see immediate results with students, but showing up faithfully matters more than temporary success.
- Faith over fear. Choosing to trust God in your classroom can shift your perspective, even when circumstances don’t.
- Patience over perfection. Not every lesson will be perfect, and not every student will respond, but God is still at work.
- Presence over pressure. Being present in your classroom, even when exhausted, is often more transformative than any lesson plan.
- Consistency over emotion. Teaching is emotional. Faith gives you the ability to choose calm and perseverance when frustration wants to take over.
These lessons didn’t come overnight. They came slowly, day by day, prayer by prayer, and sometimes through moments I never expected to teach me anything.
A Word for Teachers in Hard Seasons
Maybe you’re there right now. Exhausted. Questioning. Waiting for change.
Here’s what I want you to hear:
Trusting God doesn’t always look like bold confidence. Sometimes it looks like quiet endurance. Sometimes it looks like faithfulness when no one is clapping. Sometimes it looks like staying soft in a profession that can harden you.
Proverbs 3:5–6 isn’t a motivational poster verse—it’s a surrender verse. Psalm 37:5 isn’t about instant results—it’s about releasing control. Isaiah 41:10 isn’t about removing difficulty—it’s about His presence in it.
What if this hard season isn’t proof you’re in the wrong place? What if it’s proof that God is deepening your roots?
Some of the strongest teachers I know aren’t the ones who never struggled—they’re the ones who stayed. Not because it was easy, but because they trusted God in the middle of uncertainty.
And maybe that’s you. Not perfect. Not fearless. But faithful.
I’d love to hear from you: What does trusting God look like in your classroom? How have you navigated your hardest teaching seasons? Drop a comment below so we can encourage each other in this journey. Sharing your story could be exactly what another teacher needs to hear today.
