The toughest period of my semester has blown over, and the time has now come as the dust settles to dish out the accolades.
To God be the Glory forever and ever!Amen.
At the end of the "Doing Business in China" class yesterday, our group received the grades we scored for our news scan and Project 1 presentation. It was a fantastic score, given our uncertainties coming out of it. And just 2 hours ago, my simulation game for Strategy ended - we managed to come from behind to stave off the wooden spoon, and gave a good account of ourselves at the end of the game.
Looking back, it was a real struggle ploughing through the last 11 weeks in school. Starting out, I was real slow off the blocks as my mental state was still stuck in Deutschland along the Rhine River where I spent my last 4.5 months of academic endeavour. It was real hard to get the engine started, and by the time it did I was way behind in every aspect.
I started the semester being extremely close to the next higher grade of degree. Yet, it strangely was never my motivation for putting in the hours and sacrificing sleep. Somewhere along the way, I had decided that the only reason why I am working so hard this semester was really to put in a good account of myself both in the process and in how I handled outcomes.
You see, as the semester went on, I began to see life as just 2 things: process and outcome. Process is something that we are able to control, and we can glorify God by putting in our best effort with whatever limited time we have, being classmates and project mates who help those in need, who try to put in an extra bit, all while placing God as #1 still. Bible Study preparations took precedence over anything else at any time, and CF times are totally untouchable.
Outcomes come in two forms - the good, and the bad. In good outcomes, do we thank God for giving us all these that we do not deserve? (I certainly for one didn't think that despite all the hours I clocked I could get the 2 grades for China and final outcome for Strategy - praise God!) In bad outcomes, do we see it as an opportunity for us to respond in a manner glorifying to God? Do we show through our reactions that our assurance lies in Christ and nothing else?
Earlier this week as I read these verses from Matthew 6 during my Quiet Time I came across this passage:
25 "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you,even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
34 "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." - Matthew 6:25-34
Indeed, seek first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness. I cannot say that I was not anxious one bit when deadlines came and projects went haywire, but in those times I started reading my Bible, preparing for Bible Studies, and strangely, very strangely, I managed to finish the work on time still!
I would not go as far to say that we need fantastic grades, but as a student decent grades are definitely needed at least to graduate, or land a job that enables us to raise our standard of giving and support ministries and churches. Both believers and non-believers need them (the grades), the question is:
Am I seeking first the kingdom of God? Or in these times of trouble I start to rely on myself, who I am, how long can I go without sleep etc.?
Praise God for teaching this lesson on seeking Him and His Righteousness first, and I pray that I will see out the semester seeking God and His Righteousness before and above all things.
