As I was deliberately trying to figure out the best way to cram an entire semester's worth of information into my head for the finals, slowly the dosage calculations and the coupled reactions of the Krebs cycle drifted out of my mind and this analogy caught my attention instead:
Why did I wait until the very last day before the finals to start studying? Why didn’t I just study a little at a time and devote time to actually LEARN the material throughout the semester/ rather than just cramming it in my head so that I can dump it out for the exam and forget about it the very next day? Why is this such a consistent pattern…will I ever learn the lesson?
…whether I learn my lesson in regards to studying for the finals in the world of education is 1 thing, but more important is the analogy I am about to make with studying for the tests that we face in our Spiritual life which we call “trials”. This is the more important lesson that I need to understand.
I think it’s safe to say that every Christian will face trials at one point of their life or another. (The Bible says so)… think for a moment here of trials as “finals” in our Spiritual life. Once we are at a stage in our life where our faith needs testing, God gives us a “final”… Somehow we college students get used to being so laid back throughout the semester and then end up trying to catch up right before the test/ or even in between tests (that’s me right here! ) ( oh, and please don’t get offended if you think I’m accusing everyone of being this way, not at all! Mainly I’m just referring to myself here…) Switching back over to the Spiritual Life aspect of being tested, God tests our faith by allowing trials and tribulations to come our way. If we aren’t prepared before the trials come, it just makes it that much harder and more difficult for us to accept them, know the right action to take, and we all of a sudden start praying more and reading the Bible more (in hopes to find a clear revelation of what to do/ how to act in a given situation). What if we actually took the time to study the Word of God consistently in our everyday lives instead of waiting for a time when we really desperately need to know God’s will to take out the Bible and start “cramming” – flipping through the pages and trying to find the answers…What if we consistently built that Bible knowledge and applied it in our lives daily…wouldn’t it be so much easier to take the “finals” – accept the trials that we face with faith and courage-? Wouldn’t we already be prepared and know how to act from previously already going over that in our personal Bible Study? And what if we applied the rule of studying 3 hours out of class for every 1 hour of lecture spent in class (or some crazy number the professors tell you) into our Spiritual life and studied the Scriptures at home for that many hours outside of the church Bible Studies?...Wouldn’t we be more prepared to fight the battles of temptations, accept trials with joy, and “pass” the course that God may be testing us on?...
The finals we face in our schools/ colleges/ universities/ etc- test our knowledge of what we have been studying in the past. If we actually learn the material and know how to apply it, it’ll be that much easier for us to pass the final with a good grade without having to pull all-nighters cramming for it.
The “finals” we face in our Spiritual lives test our faith. If we are spiritually strong Christians and prepare ourselves by being persistent in studying the Scriptures and consistent in prayer everyday in our lives, then when the days of trials come, they won’t catch us by surprise.
The worst thing that can possibly happen when we aren’t prepared for the finals at our schools is we could fail…fail the test, fail the course, etc. but comparing that to the BIG picture I’m trying to make here is that if we are not prepared for the Spiritual trials that may come, if our faith fails …that outcome is worse than getting an F- on any other test.
…If there is anything else I can add to this already supper long post, it’s this…I just want to encourage everyone to really take the time to MAKE TIME for Bible study, not just an hour or two at the church/ youth Bible Studies, not just the “read a few chapters to check it off my list” type of studying, but really just investing time to apply the Word of God personally in your lives so that your faith and relationship with God would grow stronger and stronger….(and once those trials come your way…you can be prepared to face them with a joyful smile!)
*( This post applies to me more than anyone b/c I know I need to improve my time of studying the Bible… but I do hope you consider to do so as well. If anyone is offended by anything written here, please let me know. That was not my intention at all. If you can add anything to this, please do so in the comments…)
May God Bless!
p.s….Congradulations to those of you who faced finals in your schools and passed!!!
3 comments:
I like the analogy. Thx Nat. BTW you are not offending anyone in your posts so you don't have to apologize ahead of time. Once you state that this is the way you have seen yourself in this situation, I think the reader should reflect on that.
Indeed, good points, a deep topic although.
James 1:2-6
I got all emotional...this is a great post...thank you for sharing from your personal experience. =) and for the reminder that we must not use God as a "nasal spray"...only as needed.
oh and yea, don't apologize!
luv ya
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