The Complete Guide to Calming Exam StressSample

“There’s got to be more than this.”

If you’ve ever thought this, you are not alone. There's something in each of us that knows there is more to life than the sum of individual parts—exams, friends, schedules and grades. What is this all for?

The Bible tells us that God put eternity in our hearts (Ecc. 3:11). This is why we can feel this profound sense of something bigger surrounding our lives. Not only do we sense it, but we also feel a longing for it. Psalm 42:7 says it this way: “Deep calls to deep.” Meaning? God has shaped you to be a spiritual being with a deep need for Him to feel that sense of purpose and satisfaction in life.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa…I’m just trying to survive my exams! What does that have to do with what I’m dealing with?”

The Bible is full of examples of how real people facing real problems turned to God and acknowledged their spiritual need for Him in day-to-day life. It can be easy to separate our spiritual life from the other pieces of our lives that can feel so overwhelming in times of stress. But the truth is that when we integrate all the parts of our lives together and view them as a way to connect to God, we find a grounding sense of purpose and satisfaction through it all.

Did you know studying for and writing your exams are ways to worship God? When you choose to give your best effort and you determine to trust God, you are bringing glory to Him. This doesn’t mean that it erases the stress you feel. Even the Psalmist asks, “Why, soul, are you downcast?” But when you live for something more, you can echo the Psalmist when he chooses to anchor himself in hope in God (Psa. 42:5). You can see the bigger picture.

There is more to life—deep calls out to deep—and it's only found in living for Him. In the ups, the downs, the small things, the big things and everything in between. It’s the sum of all the parts to the power of One.