Yes, it is finally that time of year: school is starting! Some of you are doing your last-minute school shopping for your first day next week, and some have even already begun! The last school year feels so far away in my memory, yet I still find myself shocked that we’re here already. For me, it is extra special, because I am about to start my senior year of high school. That, added to the fact that I am an athlete in a fall sport and have a job, means that I know full well what it looks like to be insanely busy for months at a time. It is so easy to get so wrapped up in trying to balance schoolwork, matches, practices, work, and a social life, that one thing always ends up getting pushed to the side: our relationship with Jesus. Even though it is so easy to save it for last because it’s not “pressing” and there’s no due date like there is with classes, the school year is when we need to be focusing on our faith more than ever.
Those of you that are in school know that it is a good place to look if you want to find lost people. Unfortunately, so much of our generation is looking for any answer other than Christ, so if reaching the lost is something that really matters to you, God was gracious enough to give you a gigantic mission field! And when I say mission field, I mean it. You don’t have to go across the world or on a big retreat to reach that “mission field”, because that term is just used to describe us going out into the world and sharing the gospel. Every day when you walk through the doors of your school, clock in at work, or step on the court, you are entering your mission field, and the places where God has put you to do the work of the Lord.
I want this post to focus on evangelism, because we are entering a season of life where this is bigger than ever. In addition, this is an area in my life where I really feel like I don’t know a lot about it, so I want to become better at creating intentional friendships where I share my faith with others.
What is evangelism?
Evangelism is the term used to describe when people go out into the world and share the Gospel. This could look like a million different things, because there are so many ways to evangelize to people. Maybe you were able to chat to a friend today after practice about why you go to church, because they asked why you don’t go to Sunday morning practices. Perhaps a friend noticed the Bible verse you had in your planner, which gave you an opportunity to share what it means to you and how it helps you keep your relationship with God priority.
Evangelism can also look like going out to a mall, festival, or local event to walk around and chat with people that look like they’re not in a rush to get anywhere. Some people evangelize better in relationships over time through a living testimony, while other people are good at making conversation with strangers about eternity and heaven. That is one of the things I find so beautiful about evangelism: God made us all different, so the way that we share the Gospel is different from person to person.
For me personally, I share the Gospel with people best through a living testimony. Whether I am at work, school, tennis practice, or anywhere else, I feel like having actions that resemble Christ is a great way for me to evangelize. A big part of this is because a lot of the time, I don’t have a “perfect” opportunity for me to share my entire testimony with a teammate in the middle of practice, or with a coworker during a busy work day. I also struggle with bringing up these topics in casual conversation, and having fruit come from it. Instead, I can focus on bearing good, Godly fruit, because I know that if my fruit is resembling Christ, people are going to notice, and they will comment on it. This gives me an opportunity to share the “reason for the hope that is in you (1 Peter 3:15).
Evangelizing & Your Testimony
With school starting up, there are so many new opportunities for us as believers to set ourselves apart from the world and be a light to the lost world. “Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.” (2 TImothy 2:21). From the moment that people meet you, they should be able to tell that there is something different about you that the world does not have. Our joy should be different, our hope should be different, and even our suffering should be different, because we have a unique trust in our Creator and believe that God will work through the suffering.
This leads me to a really big question that should be in the forefront of your mind all year: do people know that you are saved? No, really, take a minute and let that simmer. If you were to go poll all of the people you had in your classes last year, all your teammates from last season, or all your coworkers, how many of them knew you were Christians? Do you talk about your faith openly, or do you only say you are a Christian when somebody asks? Even if you never explicitly say that you are a believer, would people be able to guess based on your everyday behavior and heart attitude?
Guys, if nobody knows that you are a believer, you are not being obedient to God. 2 Timothy 2:21 says that we need to put away all things in our life that do not honor God, and be “set apart as holy”. If we are blending in with the world, then we are being an example of a lukewarm Christian. If I am being honest, I would feel so awful if the people close to me told me that they had no idea that I was a Christian. The things that people know about you are the things that are most important to you. If everybody knows you by your sport, that is the center of your life. If you are known for your grades, that is the center of your life. If the whole world can label you as a Christian, that is the center of your life. “Out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” (Luke 6:45b).
This brings me to the second question: what will you be focused on this year? Every day when you walk into school, what is going through your mind the most? Are you always stressed out about perfecting your grades, focused on having a good time, or looking for opportunities to share your faith with others? This is a question that you need to ask yourself everyday before you even walk into the building. In fact, I would recommend writing that question on a sticky note or piece of paper and putting it wherever you will see it in the morning, whether it is in your car, on your mirror, or on your lunchbox. Even on the days we are not “feeling it”, and you just want to get through the school day as fast as possible, we are representing Christ. No matter where you are, who you are around, or what is happening, we are called to be a mirror of Christ. People are going to notice things about you no matter what you do, so they might as well be able to see the Godly fruit that you produce.
School Tips for the Year
These are all of the practical school tips that I have learned over the years that have helped me do well in my classes and work hard. I would consider myself to be a good student, and I am definitely fortunate to have so many people in my life to help me get to where I am.
Get a planner (and actually use it!)
Guys, I am obsessed with getting planners. I always find one with cute little colors and patterns, which helps motivate me all year long. The moment that a teacher announces an assignment, due date, or test date, write it down! When you get home from classes, number every assignment, starting with “1” for what needs to be done first, and make your way through everything until you get to the assignments you don’t need to worry about for now. It makes the task at hand seem a lot more manageable.
Start studying a week ahead
Even if you seem confident in the topic, do not wait until the night before! If you are given a test date ahead of time, then start studying a week before. The reason I love that is because instead of cramming all my studying into one night and trying to go for hours on end, I can feel less stressed out by doing smaller increments of studying. This really helps my mental health, and helps me to work on not procrastinating.
Separate your performance from your worth
This one won’t necessarily help your grades, but it will change your key motivators, and stop burnout or mental health issues that stem from school. No matter how you do in school, whether you are a high performer or you struggle, you are not defined by a grade, or how good you are in classes compared to other people. I struggled with this a lot last year, but a GPA or test score does not define your worth. Your worth is found in God and God alone. Work hard in everything that you do, but don’t let the result define who you are.
Well, good luck to you all! I have never had a school year that was a breeze, and I don’t think any of you have, either. Sticking with God through it all won’t make it easy, but will make it possible.
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