Good News!

I know it's getting to be that time where everyone is just about dead. Everyone's stressed and tired (which was completely obvious during worship practice on sunday). Whether its because of grades or homework or just tired of school period, this verse applies to all!

Paul says in Philippians 3:7-11....
I once thought all these things (for our sake, lets think of these things as school related) were so very important, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage (rubbish), so that I may have Christ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own goodness or my ability to obey God's law, but I trust Christ to save me. For God's way of making us right with himself depends on faith. As a result, I can really know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I can learn what it means to suffer with him, haring in his death, so that, somehow, I can experience the resurrection from the dead!

Whenever you get overwhelmed by all the worldly responsibilities and trying to achieve all your worldly goals, remember....they don't matter! Don't get me wrong, goals are important and if you want to do something with your life, you do need to do decent in school, but in the big picture, getting A's in school, going to college and landing a well-paying job means very little. Think about it, is God going to care if you got a D on an english essay? Is your future job going to have any berring on your enterance into Heaven? NO!!! Everything we are doing now that is not doing God's will, is garbage, or rubbish, as my favorite shirt says.
I know I have always had a problem with trying to overachieve in high school. I HAD to get all A's or I'd just die! I thought that my being in the top 10% of the class and getting into a great college were the most important things. Luckily, I've come to realize that they really don't matter at all. My serving God and worshiping Him is all that really matters. For people that don't have Jesus in their lives, it makes sense that they would be so concerned with worldly achievement, but it makes no sense for us! We have God in our lives! Do we not have more important things to do than read "The Scarlett Letter"?

Colossians 2:8-10...
Don't let anyone lead you astray with empty philosophy and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the evil powers of this world, and not from Christ. For in Christ the fullness of God lives in a human body, and you are complete through your union with Christ. He is the Lord over every ruler and authority in the universe.

So, to sum it up: Don't stress out about finals and all those horrid things. Do they matter?...Yes, but not as much as they seem to right now. And if trying to achieve perfection in school takes away from the time you have to spend with God, then stop! (I know, I am the last person to be saying all this, I should be talking into a mirror, but I am taking my own advice, believe me!) So chill out guys, don't work too hard and take a sigh of relief because in the big picture school does not matter at all! (Don't tell your parents I said that)
Peace out yo!