Be True to Your School...

Growing up, my dad always played the Beach Boys when we would go on family vacations. One of his favorite songs was “Be true to your school.” It was a song about having pride in your school and wearing your school colors proudly. He always taught us the importance of cheering and supporting your team no matter whether or lost. Getting a quality education and supporting you school were very important to my family. Whether it’s a classroom in middle school, high school or college, we begin to learn many different subject areas that prepare us for life. 

But where do we learn those life lessons that prepare us for those times when things don’t go our way or when we fail? This Earth we live on is God’s classroom for us. 

Our class time is all day every day. The only textbook you will need is the Bible. Make sure you read it carefully. Just like in any class we take in high school or college, you will need to study and take good notes. Don’t be late because God doesn’t like for us to be tardy. He likes for us to be on His time, not our own. Our teacher is amazing and He will guide and lead us in the right direction. All we have to do is listen and follow His rules. In our society today, we often forgot those 10 basic rules that were written so long ago, yet all simple ways to make this world a better place. A few that I think often times we fail to follow are below:

1. You must not make for yourself an idol - Think about all the celebrities, athletes and   

   stars that we worship and idolize. What if we wanted to be more like Jesus as much   

   as we wanted to be like those famous people? What if we wanted to study and learn 

   more about Him? It’s a good question to ponder....

2. Remember to keep the Sabbath day holy - I know in our fast paced society we often                                            

   times forget to slow down and take time to enjoy life and God’s creation. It’s hard                     

   sometimes due to our work schedules that we sometimes get so caught up in making  

   a living that we forget to actually “live”. So take time and go hiking, go for a run, play 

   outside with the kids, go to a movie, go fishing or just take time to do something you       

   enjoy. Have a family day to enjoy your loved ones. 

3. Honor your father and mother - It amazes me how kids talk to their parents these   
    days. Regardless if we agree or disagree with our parents, most of the time they   

    know what’s best for us. I’m 34 years old and would never dream of speaking to my  

    parents the way some kids do. Have some Respect!! Your family is some of the few  

    people in your life that will always be there for you through thick and thin. 

In God’s classroom, sometimes we are faced with some very difficult tests. Some we may have studied for and others may be the fun, unexpected pop quizzes. Divorce, death, cancer, loss of job and many other tests are given to us throughout our life. Fortunately, we have the best teacher in the world teaching us how to handle these different situations. 

1 Corinthians 13:13 says “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” Sometimes the answers to the tests are not always true/false, multiple choice or short answer. Sometimes the answers take a while to appear, but God has given us all the power to reason and make the right decisions with three important words: Faith, Hope and Love. 

So let’s take pride in our school. Keep your classroom clean and pure. Be on time. Listen when the Teacher is speaking. As the Beach Boys say, “Now what's the matter buddy aint you heard of my school?” Let’s show our school spirit and have faith and give God the Glory for the opportunities He gives us to learn, grow and experience the wonderful gift of life in His classroom. Although sometimes we may fail a test or flunk a pop quiz, the greatest aspect of God’s classroom is that He forgives us. 1 John 1:9 says that “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” To me this is the only answer we will ever need for any test....

So Let's all strive to Make an "A" in God's classroom...so that we can graduate with honors and spend our eternity on Heaven. 

Be Kind, Be Thoughtful, Be Sympathetic and always BE TRUE!!!