There is a change that takes place somewhere between 4th grade and High School. When we were young, going back to school was an exciting time—new folders, new pencils, and we got to spend the day with our friends!
But as we grew older, we realized how fun the summers could be and how much hard work came with going back to school. What once was exciting soon became the dreaded return to school after a summer of fun.
The Holy Spirit causes us as redeemed children of the heavenly Father to take a much different look at everything we do—including going back to school. Paul writes to the Christians at Corinth, “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).
When Paul wrote these words, he was dealing with the question of whether or not Christians had the freedom to eat meat which had been offered to false idols.
Did they have the freedom to do so? Certainly. But was it always the wise and loving thing to do? “Let no one seek his own,” Paul wrote, “but each one the other’s well-being” (10:24). Act in love for your fellow believer, even in your choice of what to eat! Seek to glorify God in everything you do, even at meal time!
Well, if we want to glorify God in our choice of food, how much more would we not want to glorify God as we return to the classroom this fall (or if you are beyond school age, think of your workplace).
That is exactly what Paul is talking about when he writes of glorifying God in “whatever you do.”
Glorify the God who “fearfully and wonderfully” created your own body as well as the world around you!
Glorify the God who loved you and laid down His life to rescue you from the hell that you deserved because of your sins!
Glorify the God who called you to faith in Jesus, made you His own special child, and through Christ has made you an heir of eternal life!
Glorify the Triune God in whatever you do!
For Example…
But how can we glorify God as we return to school this fall? Examples are countless.
First of all, consider our relationship with our teachers. Martin Luther reminds us that keeping the Fourth Commandment goes far beyond the home. It reaches all whom the Lord has placed in authority over us—including teachers at school. We glorify God when we listen to our teachers and are obedient to them. We glorify God by working hard on our assignments and getting them in on time. We glorify God by not complaining about our workload, by not talking back to our teachers, and by not frustrating or angering them.
But glorifying God at school goes far beyond our relationship with our teachers. It impacts our relationships with everyone else at school.
We glorify God by taking time at the lunch table to say table prayers before eating the food with which He has blessed us. We glorify God when we help our fellow classmate who is getting picked on (5th commandment). We glorify God when we don’t join in with the gossipers in bad-mouthing someone else, but rather speak-up in his or her defense (8th Commandment).
We could certainly think of many more examples of how we can glorify God as we return to school this fall.
But the greatest way anyone can glorify God at school or in any situation is to tell others about all that Jesus has done to save us. How He loved us so much that He was willing to die on the cross to save us. How Jesus loves that other person too and died to save him or her also!
There can be no greater way to glorify God at school or work or whatever we are doing than to share the good news about salvation in Jesus Christ!
May God ever help us to let the light of our faith shine by glorifying Him everywhere we go and in everything we do!
Even returning to school!