School - Do it With All Your Might!
Bible Readings
Take a few minutes to read the Bible verses listed and ask the Holy Spirit to lead you in how this verse applies to you this week.
12 God loves you and has chosen you as his own special people. So be gentle, kind, humble, meek, and patient. 13 Put up with each other, and forgive anyone who does you wrong, just as Christ has forgiven you. 14 Love is more important than anything else. It is what ties everything completely together. 15 Each one of you is part of the body of Christ, and you were chosen to live together in peace. So let the peace that comes from Christ control your thoughts. And be grateful. 16 Let the message about Christ completely fill your lives, while you use all your wisdom to teach and instruct each other. With thankful hearts, sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. 17 Whatever you say or do should be done in the name of the Lord Jesus, as you give thanks to God the Father because of him.
Colossians 3:12-17
Memory Verse
Colossians 3:23-24
23 Do your work willingly, as though you were serving the Lord himself, and not just your earthly master. 24 In fact, the Lord Christ is the one you are really serving, and you know he will reward you.
Starting a new school year can bring a mix of feelings. It’s time for a fresh, new start! Maybe a new classroom, a new teacher, and perhaps even new classmates. That can feel exciting! It can also bring feelings of nervousness or anxiousness. To have many different feelings is normal. Would you be surprised to hear that your teachers feel this way too?
Your job as a student is important! You learn many new things each day and year after year at school. Colossians 3:23-24 says that whatever you do, you should work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord. That’s true for everything you do at school. Think of it as more than just your daily schoolwork and homework. While at school, you should do all things as if you were doing them for God. When you are trying your best at math, it is the Lord you are serving. When you have a positive attitude toward an assignment you dislike, you work at it with all your heart. When you include someone who looks lonely, you are serving him.
However, the work may sometimes feel too hard or even overwhelming! When you feel tired and need encouragement, read Galatians 6:9-10 and don’t give up, because “...at the proper time, we will reap a harvest.” This isn’t a promise of a reward but a reminder that everything you do is because you love God and who he is. As you head into a new school year, remember these words from Proverbs 16:3: “Share your plans with the Lord, and you will succeed.”
Prayer
God, a new school year is beginning, and I feel many different emotions. Lord, I pray that I may enter this new year with the reminder that all I do and say is working for you. Bless the work of my hands this year. AmenRelated Resources
Lisa VanderKuip
Lisa VanderKuip, an educator in Ontario, Canada, is passionate about creating inclusive schools and supporting teachers in fostering student success. She enjoys collaborating with educators, golfing with her husband, spending time with their children, and embracing the new joys of grandparenting.
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