God’s Rewards
Material 4 – Money and Happiness
Degree of happiness and wealth
personal income percentage of people expressing they are very happy
Reference:
David G. Myers. The Pursuit of Happiness: Discovering the Pathway to Fulfilment, Well-Being, and Enduring Personal Joy (New York: Quill, 2002).
Attitudes towards Life (2): Not to worry about Life 2-1
1. Biblical reference: Matthew 6: 25-34 2. Objectives：
y To learn about Jesus’ reasons for not to worry about life.
y To learn from Jesus ways to eliminate worries: (1) to pursue the manifestation of God’s sovereignty and to follow His will; (2) do not worry about the future, there is no need to add troubles to each day.
y To learn not to worry about life and to understand how to live each day with a cautious, contemplative and trusting attitude according to Jesus’ exhortation.
3. Teaching strategies Background
Information
y People are always troubled, worried and concerned about the essential needs of life, such as clothes, food and drinks.
y Jesus used the examples of birds and wild flowers to show people that God provides and protects even tiny living things, hence He would care a lot about humans.
y If people pursue the manifestation of God’s sovereignty and follow His will, God will provide people everything they need. If a person enjoys God’s blessings and does his/her work well for the day, he/she does not need to worry about the uncertainties in the future.
y Through the above teachings, Jesus exhorted us not to worry but to understand how to live each day with a cautious, contemplative and trusting attitude.
Issue for Explorations
y How is it possible for one not to worry about life？
Enquiry Questions
y Why did Jesus teach us not to worry about life?
y How should we eliminate worries according to Jesus?
y Are people not allowed to worry? What kind of attitudes should one have?
Attitudes towards Life (2): Not to worry about Life 2-2
Learning Activities
y Through learning the “Life Change Stress Scale” used in
psychology, help students understand the prevalence of stress in today’s society and study Jesus’ arguments against worries.
Through analysing real life examples, help students grasp the rationale behind Jesus’ teachings on eliminating worry.
y Through learning the Jewish attitudes towards life, help students understand Jesus’ teaching on how to live each day with a cautious, contemplative and trusting attitude.
Key Concepts y Worries
y God’s provision Generic Skills,
Values and Attitudes Involved
y Refer to the ‘Generic skills, Values and Attitudes’ tables included in the following activity sheets.
High-order Questions
y Base on Jesus’ teaching on the reasons for not to worry, evaluate the “Life Change Stress Scale” and see which items may now cease to make you worry.
y What kind of life would be achieved if one lives a cautious life and trusts God？
Extended Activities
y Through case studies, help students understand and evaluate Hong Kong people’s values towards life.
Attitudes towards Life (2): Not to worry about Life Activity One 2-1
Activity One
Enquiry Question Generic Skills Values and Attitudes Why did Jesus teach us not to
worry about life?
Collaboration skills, communication skills
Self-reflection, optimistic
Teaching Steps：
1. Teacher does warm-up exercise with students by helping them understand that most people have worries. Guide students to reflect the issue of worries.
y Teacher points out:
- Confucius said, “Even if one does not have future concerns, one must have current worries” It seems impossible for one to live without worries.
y Teacher shows PowerPoint 1 (Life Change Stress Scale) and discusses with students what would worry modern people.
y Teacher asks students, by putting up their hands, to indicate their current worries out of the items in the Scale. Invite a few students to do sharing.
y Teacher points out:
- A lot of people worry about money, clothing, food, academic achievements, work performance, the future, human relationships and so on.
2. Teacher carries out “Views of Life from Advertisements” activity with students.
Help students understand the most common ways to eliminate worries and introduce Jesus’ reasons for not to worry about life to them.
y Teacher can visit the following website to show an advertisement by an insurance agency: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rij6STNQS78
- The advertisement points out that everyone has a different dream.
- The advertisement claims that one can live a worry-free life and fulfill all wishes by investing in the mandatory provident fund.
y Teacher can discuss with students:
- Would people live a worry-free life if they follow what the advertisement advises? Explain.
Attitudes towards Life (2): Not to worry about Life Activity One 2-2
3. Teacher carries out “Reasons for Not to Worry” activity with students and helps them understand Jesus’ reasons for not to worry about life.
y Teacher asks students to read Mt. 6:25-32.
y Teacher divides students into groups, hands out ‘Worksheet 1’(Reasons for Not to Worry) and leads students to discuss the questions on the worksheet:
- With reference to Jesus’ arguments, investigate the reasons for not to worry about our life regarding the following areas: (1) the most precious possessions in the world; (2) the way how animals survive in nature, (3) the functions of worries and (4) the way how flowers and grasses survive in nature.
y After discussion, teacher invites groups to present.
y Teacher distributes ‘Students’ Reference: Material 2’ (Methods to Eliminate Worries) and explains the answers of the questions on the worksheet.
y Teacher shows ‘PowerPoint 2’ (Reasons for Not to Worry) to summarise the learning above.
4. Teacher discusses with students:
y Jesus raises four reasons to exhort people not to worry about life. Which reason do you most agree/disagree with? Explain.
y Base on Jesus’ reasons for not to worry about life, evaluate the “Life Change Stress Scale” and see which items may now cease to make you worry.
5. Teacher summarises:
y Jesus taught that people who worry about life are blind, for they cannot see (1) the precious values of their own lives, (2) the gifts from nature and (3) that there is a sovereign ruler in life.
y People who worry a lot are foolish because they fail to notice that worries are not going to help the situations.
y Therefore, worrying about life serves no purpose at all. It cannot influence our life in a positive way.
6. Teacher distributes ‘Students’ Reference: Material 1 (Reasons for Not to Worry)’ to wrap up the above activity.
Attitudes towards Life (2): Not to worry about Life Activity Two 3-1
Activity Two
Enquiry Question Generic Skills Values and Attitudes
How should we eliminate worries according to Jesus?
Collaboration skills,
communication skills, critical thinking skills
Self-reflection, optimistic, positive
Teaching Steps：
1. Teacher raises the question:
y Worrying about life is useless. Are there any ways to help us eliminate worries in life?
y What do people in Hong Kong usually do to eliminate worries?
2. Teacher carries out “Come and Offer Ways” activity with students, and leads students to explore different ways to eliminate worries and evaluate the effectiveness of these ways.
y Teacher asks students to name the ways people in Hong Kong usually use to eliminate worries, e.g. playing video games, singing karaoke, buying designer fashions, or chatting with friends. Teacher can write up to 10 ways suggested by the students on the blackboard.
y Teacher asks students to study the list on the blackboard and choose the ways they have tried and found effective to eliminate worries in life. Then, by voting, teacher helps the class find out the most effective way to eliminate worries.
y Teacher discusses with students:
- Can these ways truly eliminate worries in life? Or do they just provide a temporary escape from the perturbation brought by worries?
- How can we eliminate worries in our life?
3. Teacher carries out “Ways of Eliminate Worry” activity with students. Lead students to understand Jesus’ teachings on eliminating worries about life.
y Teacher asks students to read Mt. 6:33-34 and asks students to study Jesus’ teachings on the methods to eliminate worries about life.
Attitudes towards Life (2): Not to worry about Life Activity Two 3-2
y Teacher shows ‘PowerPoint 3’ (Ways to Eliminate Worries). Lead students to understand that the first method taught by Jesus is “to seek for God’s Kingdom and his righteousness”:
‐ Concentrate on the Kingdom of God, and follow God’s will.
‐ Accept God to be the ruler of our lives. Accept and trust the plan He has made for us, for He does so with love and care.
‐ When one is willing to trust and accept God’s plan, worries will not exist any longer.
y Teacher raises the question:
- If we accept God as the ruler and the provider of our lives, do we still need to worry about the future?
y Teacher shows ‘PowerPoint 3’ (Ways of Eliminating Worries: Son of a Rich
Businessman) as a real life example to lead students to imagine how one’s worries in life will be if God is the provider.
y Teacher discusses with students:
‐ Do you think the son of the rich businessman have worries about life and the future? Explain.
‐ Base on this example, under what circumstances will one worry about the needs in life and the future?
y Teacher shows that the second method taught by Jesus is “there is no need to add troubles to each day”:
‐ Every day will be a good day if one is able to finish all his work before the day ends.
‐ Do not worry about the uncertain future or about things that may or may not happen.
y Teacher visits the following website: through testimonies of individuals, let students realise that God’s grace is more than sufficient. One does not need to worry about tomorrow. Rather, one should fully enjoy all the blessings for the day.
- Pray for Hong Kong: The amazing journey of a family of eight - testimonies of tsunami survivors
http://www.gcc.org.hk/pray4hk/composition_content.php?division_id=16&co mposition_id=152
Attitudes towards Life (2): Not to worry about Life Activity Two 3-3
4. Teacher discusses with students:
y Are Jesus’ methods for eliminating worries different from those promoted by today’s society?
y Are Jesus’ methods for eliminating worries suitable for today’s society?
y Would you try Jesus’ methods? Why or why not?
5. Teacher summarises：
y To pursue the manifestation of God’s sovereignty and to follow His will means that we are convinced by God’s love and His wisdom and therefore will trust and accept His plans and provisions.
y The second method taught by Jesus to eliminate worries is “not to add troubles to each day”. People should live in the present and enjoy the day, putting more time and thoughts on seizing the opportunities in each and every day.
6. Teacher hands out “Students’ Reference: Material 2” (Methods to Eliminate Worries) and wraps up the above activities.
Attitudes towards Life (2): Not to worry about Life Activity Three
Activity Three
Enquiry Question Generic Skills Values and Attitudes Are people not allowed to worry? What
kind of attitudes should one have?
Collaborations skills, communication skills, problem solving skills
Optimistic, have faith, positive
Teaching Steps：
1. Teacher raises the question:
y Are people not allowed to worry? What kind of attitudes should one have?
2. Teacher shows PowerPoint 4 （The peaceful life of the Jews）. By looking into the Jewish lifestyle, let students learn about Jesus’ teachings on the correct attitudes of living – be cautious and trusting.
3. Teacher discusses with students:
y How does being cautious benefit one’s life and future?
y Jesus taught that one does not need to worry. Are people not allowed to worry?
y If one lives cautiously and trusts God, how would his/her life be?
4. Teacher summarises:
y We should live every day with a cautious attitude. If we do not over-spend or pursue too much luxury, we can avoid being poor due to splurging. Then we need not worry about tomorrow.
y We should trust God. We have to cultivate a good relationship with the omniscient and omnipotent God. We will then learn to mange all aspects of life, such as treating people, managing money and time etc. We will not be bounded by worries, but will enjoy the peace from God.
5. Teacher carries out “A worry-free life” activity with students. Through analyzing the cases, ask students to summarise Jesus’ teaching on “not to worry”.
y Teacher divides students into groups of four and hands out Worksheet 2 (A Worry-free Life). Through studying the two cases on the worksheet, discuss the related questions.
Attitudes towards Life (2): Not to worry about Life Extended Activities
Extended Activities:
1. Teacher states:
y A lot of people in modern society consider pursuing the greatest materialistic enjoyment the best way to enjoy life.
2. Teacher carries out “Destruction of Family” activity with students. Through studying the cases, let students reflect on the ways to enjoy peace in life. Also, through data collection, let them understand and evaluate the values of Hong Kong people towards life.
y Teacher divides students into groups and hands out Worksheet 3 (Destruction of Family) to each group. Ask students to study the cases and analyse the values of the protagonists according to the questions on the worksheet.
y Teacher asks students to look for data which reflect Hong Kong people’s concepts of
“enjoying life”. They can collect information from advertisements survey results or they can visit the following websites:
- http://www.breakthrough.org.hk/ir/Research/32_tertiary/tertiary.htm - http://hk.geocities.com/yalpoon/lifevalue.html
- http://webclass.ncu.edu.tw/%7Ewang024/chap13/chap13.htm
y Base on the above data, ask students to share if these phenomena and views reflect their own values.
3. Teacher may ask students to do sharing in the next lesson.
Attitudes towards Life (2): Not to worry about Life Teacher’s References Material 1 2-1