This isn’t an article to encourage you to work harder or study more. This post isn’t going to tell you how great you are and that you could have gotten an A or won the contest. This isn’t going to be what you need to read before the big test or the awards ceremony.
You might want to bookmark this post for when you fail.
This one’s for those of us who sit next to the person who got an A+ or know the girl who just single-handedly won five of the contests you entered.
This one is to help you remember what really matters.
Making A’s and winning the grand prize are great, don’t get me wrong. This isn’t a poutfest or a pity party. This is a soft kick in the pants to remember who you are and what you’re doing.
If you’re still in school and thinking this stuff is useless or that it matters more than air, then step out of that world for just a second. Step away from SAT’s, AP exams, and GPA’s, and ask yourself one simple question. Who am I following?
All of that stuff may look good to the college of your dreams and your dad’s cousin whose son went to Harvard, but what good is any of it if God isn’t directing your steps?
And if you’re like most people, you may have no clue what your passion is or what God’s plan for you holds, but that’s not the question.
The question is whether or not you’re following God.
Once you get that question settled, the other stuff will fall into place.
Life is full of victories and failures that try to define us and tell us who we are and what we can do, but it’s time to stop listening to those things and turn our ears toward the Most High God. Not making the grade or losing the contest might show that we have something we need to work on, but it doesn’t change who we are.
Letting a contest or an exam tell you whether or not your any good or have talent is giving it a power it’s not intended to have. The contest or exam doesn’t get to decide that for you. That’s between you and the one who’s equipping you to do his will. The results are up to him.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your path.
So study hard, enter contests, and give it everything you’ve got ‘cause every bit of it can be used by the hand of God to make you into all that you’re meant to be. The losses, the C’s, the gold medals, and the 2.0 are all places along the path– the stuff he uses to shape you. Follow him, and you will see.
Tuneful Tuesday’s pick of the day – Francesca Battistelli
