Here’s an oldie but a goody: we thought it would be appropriate reading around this time of year! Know that we are praying for all of you during Finals Week! That God would give you endurance and energy to do your best and honor Him with your effort. And we’ll sneak in some prayers for good grades as well! -Dan
One of the few things that unites students on the university campus is the reality of midterms [or Finals]. And never is that reality more present than at the middle of the semester, where we find ourselves currently.[Or the end of the semester, where NOW we find ourselves currently!] Whether you’re EECS or Environmental Science, Business or Botany, now is the point of the school year where your intensity and focus are ratcheted up to their highest levels. As a follower of Jesus Christ, a natural question can arise during these seasons of life: “How do I manage it all?”
Not surprisingly, the Bible doesn’t give any one-size-fits-all answers as to how to act when the pressure is on at the college campus. (Wouldn’t it be great, though, if God had given each college student a day-timer with His desires for how we invested our time entitled “The Perfect Schedule”?!)
Thankfully though, we can see some general commands that we can apply to our question of how to manage everything – especially in stressful seasons.
One such command can be found when Paul says to the Philippians, “Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.” (Philippians 1:27) The phrase that catches me here is ‘whatever happens.” In the immediate context, Paul is talking about whether he returns to the church in Philippi or stays away. But I think that this principle can be expanded past Paul’s comings and goings.
It’s as if he’s saying, “whatever the circumstances, whatever happens, no matter how crazy life gets, here’s a general principle that will help to guide your decisions. Conduct yourself in a manner worthy of the good news of Jesus.’
So as the midterms and papers [Finals and projects] pile up, what would it look like if you let this passage become an anchor for you in your decision-making? We might not have much time for a lot of extras during these crazy days of midterms [Finals], but there’s always time for honoring the Lord with what He’s already called us to.
-Dan
