Can you believe that school is already starting and now the summer of 2017 is another page in the history books? This is the ebb and flow of life, and it moves swiftly. As you begin this new school year, it’s important to remember that this year is gift from God—one that you should not waste. As a Christian on your school’s campus, take time to consider the following points as you kick-off this new school year that should be viewed as an opportunity.
Remember—Light Is Not For Hiding
As a Christian student, you are to shine as a light on your school’s campus. Never forget that a city on a hillside cannot be hidden, nor do people hide lamps beneath baskets in their homes. Light is intended to shine into the darkness and that’s God’s will for your life.
Matthew 5:14-16 — You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
Look for open doors to communicate the gospel to your friends during this school year. God did not create you by accident, save you by chance, and place you on your school campus through a random process of evolution. You were created by an all-knowing and sovereign God for a purpose. God saved you for his eternal glory and placed you on your school’s campus during this year of human history for a divine purpose. Don’t hide your light at lunch, in the locker room, or in the science classroom (even math points to God). Look for opportunities to build good friendships with Christian teachers and other Christian students as a means of working together to reach your campus for Christ.
Theology Matters
All of those stories you were taught in Sunday school and sermons that you sat under have prepared you for this moment. Your theology of creation will be tested this year. Will you have an answer? As you study biology and physical anatomy, it is very probable that your theology of human sexuality will be called into question. Will you have an answer? You see, it’s vitally important that you never disconnect the whole of your life from the center of Sunday’s sermon. Never lose sight of the fact that your worldview (how you see the world) is very much connected to the sermons and lessons from a typical Sunday and family devotions in your living room.
Theology matters and everything you believe about God, life, marriage, and family will be tested throughout your education process. This year, something you believe about your God and how he saves sinners will be questioned. It’s important for you to have an answer and to be prepared to have unplanned theological conversations in the hallway or over lunch with friends who simply don’t understand.
What If You Never Graduate?
Every school has been marked by tragedy at some point in the school’s history. I can tell you stories of people that I once knew who never made it to graduation day. It may happen to someone at your school this year. It could happen to you. Even the young are capable of dying. So, what if you never make it to your graduation ceremony? How will you be remembered?
Will your friends recall your bold unwavering stance on the gospel? Will your reputation point to Jesus Christ? Guard your reputation and remember that your character matters. Everyone has a legacy to leave behind, and far greater than any statistic in the world of athletics is a faithful Christian testimony.
You only have one life to live—no reset buttons—don’t waste this school year. A wise old preacher named Charles Haddon Spurgeon once said:
A man’s life is always more forcible than his speech. When men take stock of him they reckon his deeds as dollars and his words as pennies. If his life and doctrine disagree the mass of onlookers accept his practice and reject his preaching.
