A Letter to College Students During Finals:
I’ve always been Switzerland in the debate of, “Grades are important,” and, “Grades really don’t matter.”
I see both sides. I think mental health is far more important, but even as I type that line, I know I’ll be the one pushing myself as close to a 4.0 as I can possibly get.
The truth is, we are all raised to think about the future. Grades “good enough” for college, test scores that get you in, college grades that will get you into graduate, law, or medical school and obtain the best job.
What’s funny though is that Jesus calls us to not worry about the future.
“Do not worry about your life... Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?”
So then, what do we do?
We have to think forward. We have to study. We have to at least try our best, right?
Okay, now I’m stumped (more than any final).
So, I turned to the books—more explicitly, The Bible.
A few notes I wanted to share:
1. He knows the plans He has for you, plans to give you hope and a future.
A bad test grade can’t mess that up.
He probably already knows the test grade is coming.
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
2. Do not worry about anything, instead pray about everything.
Maybe the real test isn’t one you’ll take this week, but the test He asks us to go through. The test where He sees if we trust Him, knowing everything will be okay.
“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”
3. We are called to work for The Lord, and not for men.
To me, this speaks loudly. Whatever God is calling you to do, study and be, is for a reason. There will be hard classes from your first semester, to your last, but the scores and credits won’t compare to the application of the skills and knowledge you take out into the world upon graduation to make this world a better place.
“Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men.”
When The Bible talks about how love is the most important thing, here’s how I think that applies to finals:
Whatever you do, let it be done in love. Study with love. Help and encourage others this week in love. Get whatever grade with love. Knowing you can do all things. Knowing you will take that degree and use it to support and love your future family, to serve a community and to change/saves lives.
When we shift our perspective into gratitude for the opportunity to be getting an education and use it to serve His kingdom, we can conquer this week—and anything—with the greatest weapon, cheat sheet and study guide God gave us: love.
“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
This Letter Contains Love,
Lily Rain