The Discipline You Need

By Javan Shashaty

Alright, it’s time to talk about school work. I know, that’s not why you started this plan. You were probably hoping to get away from any talk of school! But the fact is that school work will be a large part of your life for the next few years. It’s unavoidable! The question is: What does the Bible have to say about school work? Well, it doesn’t explicitly talk about school. But it does, however, give us some guiding principles for how we can approach school. 

Work ethic and discipline are themes throughout the Bible. God tells us very plainly that good things never come to the lazy and undisciplined, but rather the hard-working and driven. If you’re anything like me, school work is not something you enjoy. Maybe you’ve always been good at school. I’ve never had that natural gifting. And at times, I’ve had trouble finding the motivation to get my school work done. But the Bible tells us in Colossians 3:23 that whatever we do in life, we should do it as if we’re working for Jesus. That means our school work is a reflection of our commitment to Christ. “So you’re telling me that my school work actually matters in my walk with Jesus?” No I’m not telling you that, the Bible is telling you that. In the same way that your work, your marriage, your parenting, your money management, the way you drive, the way you interact with your cashier or server or mail carrier, what you do in public and in private, your thought life, and your mental health all matter to God, so does your school work! 

There will be days, weeks, and months ahead where you feel drowned and overwhelmed with school work. Midterms, papers, quizzes, finals, it’s all going to be a very real part of your life. But managing your time well and doing your best is what Jesus would want from you. There will be times when you fail and procrastinate, but keep working hard! If your motivation is to work hard in school so that you can be a better follower of Christ, you will be on your way to discipline and faithfulness.