A New School Year

“Instruct a wise man, and he becomes still wiser; teach a just man, and he advances in learning.” Proverbs 9: 9

Well, here you are, with the once-exciting, but now boring summer over and you stand at the threshold of a new school year. Perhaps you are a freshman entering the world of high school for the first time and you are scared to death. Or maybe you’re a senior and you are already fighting back the first twinges of senioritis. No matter what your situation or feelings about this school year, one thing is for certain: it is a fresh start, a new opportunity. New clothes, new schedules, new teachers, and crisp, inviting notebooks all point to hope.

New school years are always a reminder to us that there are beginnings and endings in life. People are born, people die; people move away and new people arrive. And these reminders are times of grace that we need to be thankful for because ultimately they are reminders that redemption and new life can always be found in Christ. No matter what we have done in our past, no matter how far we have strayed from the loving arms of Jesus, there is always a second chance as long as we draw breath in this world.

As you begin this new school year with all of its expectations, reflect on your relationship with the Lord. If you need to, start over. Go to confession, mend a relationship with another; renew your decision to follow Christ with your whole heart. Satan will always try to keep us mired in our sinful past, but Jesus always brings us to new places. Rejoice in this new life as you begin this new school year.

Dear Jesus, help me to place all of my hope in You. Bless my new school year and help me to be the best student I can be. Allow my love for You transform me into a lover of learning and may all I do in school give glory to You. Amen.