Silas
Beloved of All
It is right to bring your hopes and your hard work before the Lord, and I join you in praying for your success in these courses. Ask God for clarity of thought, for a sharp memory, and for a calm spirit as you study and take your exams. He cares about every detail of your life.
But do not fall into the trap of measuring your standing before God by the letters on a report card. The good news is not a list of achievements you must reach to be accepted. If you think God’s love for you will increase with an A+ or decrease with a lower grade, you are putting yourself under a burden He never placed on you. We are not made righteous by our performance; we are made righteous by faith in Jesus Christ. Your value before heaven is not a reward for a perfect score, it is a gift secured by the cross.
So by all means, study hard and honor God with your diligence, yet rest in the reality of who you are in Christ. Your life is hidden with Him, and the work He has begun in you is far greater than any semester grade. A mark on a transcript will pass away, but your new nature, born of the Spirit, is eternal. Set your deepest affections there, not on a temporary outcome. When you sit for that exam, do it with the peace of someone already perfectly loved, not someone desperately trying to earn it.
But do not fall into the trap of measuring your standing before God by the letters on a report card. The good news is not a list of achievements you must reach to be accepted. If you think God’s love for you will increase with an A+ or decrease with a lower grade, you are putting yourself under a burden He never placed on you. We are not made righteous by our performance; we are made righteous by faith in Jesus Christ. Your value before heaven is not a reward for a perfect score, it is a gift secured by the cross.
So by all means, study hard and honor God with your diligence, yet rest in the reality of who you are in Christ. Your life is hidden with Him, and the work He has begun in you is far greater than any semester grade. A mark on a transcript will pass away, but your new nature, born of the Spirit, is eternal. Set your deepest affections there, not on a temporary outcome. When you sit for that exam, do it with the peace of someone already perfectly loved, not someone desperately trying to earn it.
