Wassup! It’s mid-way through our school holidays, what have you been up to? I’ve been binge watching some Netflix series and okay, I admit I also tried Animal Crossing …. not really my kind of game. However, at my age I’ve got to binge on tuition too #rip. I know many of you are experiencing different kinds of holidays; some are just way too free and sooooo bored, while some are trying to catch up on work that snowballed ever since HBL started.
After the letter about doing our quiet time, I tried to start reading the Bible more. I’ve started on the book of Ephesians! I’ve been trying to set aside 10-15 minutes in the morning after I wake up to read some of the verses from there and pray. Here’s what I learnt!
Honour God with our Time
I’d like to introduce the phrase ‘Honour God with our Time’. I’m not sure if you’ve heard this phrase before, but for me, I stumbled upon it when I was reading Ephesians.
“Be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil”
Like I mentioned earlier, we’ve all had different holidays so far, but what we do have in common is 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year. So, honouring God with our time means consciously choosing how we spend this time that we have! Remember, we are Christians first before we are students. We should study in a way that reflects ‘honouring God with the time that we have’.
Where did Work Come From
However, some of you might be wondering, if studying is good for me, then why is it so painful (especially studying for Chinese). Well, this was not always the case.
The first account of someone working in the Bible can be traced back to God himself - when he created the world! He made the world in 6 days and rested on the 7th day. He also created Adam so that he could work the Garden of Eden. Up till that point, the Bible describes the work as good work. God even gave Adam a helper in the form of Eve. But, as a result of Adam and Eve’s sinfulness, God cursed the ground (3:17) and said that work from then on would be tiring and burdensome. So, you see, work from God was not always burdensome (imagine actually enjoying everything that you study!!)
So how then should we study?
After doing a bit of research, I also realised that the Bible does tell us how to study. Although there is no mention of studying and grades in the Bible, there are quite a few mentions of work. In Proverbs 6: 6-10, the writer warns against laziness:
“Go to the ant, you sluggard, consider its ways and be wise. It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. How long will you lie there you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest – and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man”
*Sluggard means lazy person
We see that the Bible hates it when someone is lazy. There are many parallels from this passage to the way we should be studying. For example: we shouldn’t procrastinate. We shouldn’t laze around and not do anything, nor slack around so much so that work starts to pile up.
So how then should we study/work?
There are many practical ways that we can approach our work.
1. Pray before you start studying (yes, pray every day!!!)
In so doing, you remind yourself that the work that you are doing is from God and that we should do it to the best of our abilities so that we can bring him glory through it
2. Plan (as the saying goes, failing to plan is planning to fail)
Just like how the ant plans in advance and stores up food for its colony, we should also plan our work. Write down the things that you have to do and when the deadlines are. Also, for those who have project work and submissions, start on them early so that you will have a ‘buffer’ time if things don’t go well
3.Stop Procrastinating!
Don’t be the sluggard that the Bible says
4. Work Hard
Give your 100% when you are studying! Set aside all distractions (looking at you, Instagram) and focus on doing the work given to us
5. Take the Sabbath.
This comes in many forms. For me, I make an effort to not study on the day that I go to church. Crazy huh! But this helps me remember that God is in control - and not me. This also helps me to focus during the other 6 days. However, please don’t use this as an excuse to not go for tuition or procrastinate on work and feed into your laziness!!!! Everyone’s life is different, but the principles that we live by as Christians should be the same.
6. Find a study buddy
As a practical tip, find someone that can hold you accountable for your work! It can be someone from your DG or someone from school. Having someone that shares the same goals as you will be a source of encouragement for you when you start to struggle with living up to the standard that God has called us to
Finally
As an encouragement, Colossians 3:23-24 says:
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human master, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving”
加油！！
With Love: Noah