What do you miss when you miss. “A Message for Busy Students”
Dear Busy Christian Student.
Varsity is a crazy season of life right? So much to take in, so much to do and learn. Exams, assignment deadlines, social events and of course…the hard drive filled with tasty SERIES EPISODES…”SSShhhh”. Perhaps for the first time there is so much more demand on your time, so much more pressure to perform and impress. The struggle is REAL and I feel you. There are always going to be things that will need to be sacrificed on the altar of university life but please don’t place God on there too! I’m here to tell you that skipping out on spiritual things and in particular; corporate worship, is hurting you, not helping you.
I know that it’s not simply a matter of getting your priorities straight. Sometimes there is a genuine emergency that prevents you from being in church. It does not mean you value that emergency above your relationship with God right?
However, I still think that skipping fellowship with fellow believers because of university pressure is a bad idea, let me lovingly tell you why:
- What will your habits look like after graduation? For every student struggling with exam pressure there is a worker struggling with boss pressure. For every exam being written there is a lecturer who has to mark it. Life’s pressures do not get any easier. If you as a student don’t learn to prioritize what is important now, how will you ever hope to do it in the future?
- You cannot study effectively without breaks. It’s actually unhealthy and counter productive to study non stop. You need to balance your physical, emotional, social, spiritual and academic time properly. Be disciplined in the way you structure your time and pay attention to Hebrews 10:25 “not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching”.
- When you are under stress or being distracted by other things the LAST thing you need is less time with God and His people. There is a risk that this can cripple your faith when you begin to put more value on your performance and status than on God.
- Finally, consider some of the things you miss when you miss: Being under the Lord’s instruction through the preaching of His Word. Having your soul and mind revived and renewed through the corporate worship of God. The opportunity to encourage someone else and being a blessing to others with the gifts God has given you. The joy of knowing that you have decided to “Deny yourself, pick up your cross, and follow Jesus”. The testimony to your peers that God’s glory and honor is a priority in your life. The fellowship with other believers which is crucial to your spiritual growth.
Maybe that service you decide to miss, is exactly the service you need? Is it really worth skipping out?
Finally, let me give some Biblical examples, starting with Jesus: Luke 4:16 “And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read”.
What about the early church believers? Acts 2:46 “And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts”,
Then a scary thought as it relates to our decision making: “Galatians 6:7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap”.
I hope this was more helpful than condemning, my prayer is that God’s glory and renown will be first on your heart and that you will have much grace and blessing as you follow Jesus on the path of obedience.
For a helpful and encouraging article on the blessings of corporate worship please follow this link:
http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/five-benefits-of-corporate-worship
Called East 
Great post AJ. I definitely agree with point 2 and I find that I actually work better knowing that I’m going to take a break later. Just got to make sure that break is church and not an episode of a series 😉
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