JANUARY 8, Malachi 1:6-8

As a Christian, you must show others you are one by living a life that pleases God. We are to give of our best to God in every area of our lives. As a Christian student, you must also show others you live a life that pleases God by studying hard. What does studying hard mean? Does it mean you have to do well in class? Does it mean you skip church activities when exams are coming? Does it mean you study everyday, including every Sunday? The answer to all these questions is “No”! Some of us can do well in class; some of us may not be able to. For Christians, it is not about doing well, but trying your best. You MUST try your best, and study hard, for that is your duty as a child. Now that is easier said than done. Many students do not try their best, and because of that, their parents want them to study on Sundays too. You must really put in effort on weekdays to study and complete all assignments, then only, should you play your games or watch your favourite television programmes. And always, pray before you study, that God will help you with the work, so that you can better understand and remember.

Although we are to give our best to the Lord in studies, we should not skip church or JW activities because of exams. Neither should we study or have tuition on Sundays. However, we do not want to have a fixed and fast rule on this. If you were sick the whole week, and there is a test or exam on Monday, it would be alright to study that Sunday, but that is not your usual practice. You would normally have already studied hard through the week, and therefore you should devote Sunday to the Lord, and not study that day. Why? Because God commands that the Sabbath (our Sunday) is to be kept holy, to be reserved for Him and to do activities related to glorifying Him.

Thought: Do I give my best to God in studies?
Prayer: Heavenly Father, I know sometimes I’ve been lazy and because of that, my parents have been unhappy with me. Teach me Heavenly Father that it is my duty as a child to study hard, and teach me to commit this area of my life to You. This I pray in Jesus’ name – Amen.