An Encouragement for the New School Year
I never liked middle school and I disliked high school even more. I think many of you would stand with me on that, especially with the start of a new school year this week. With the bell that rang this morning, it cued in the return of teachers, homework, tests, group projects, and the daily grind. I know a lot of you don’t like those aspects of school. But for me, it wasn’t actually those things that made me dislike school. No, it was the social aspects of school life that gave me cause for anxiety and struggle.
Now having said that, I was by no means a stellar student either; but that to me was secondary. I did do okay enough to get by in the end. But what really got to me was trying to navigate through the haze of social awkwardness and my incessant desires of wanting to “just fit in.” How do I get in with the “cool” kids? How can I get that girl to notice me? Is there acne on my face again? Is my hair okay? Do my clothes make me stand out enough? Who am I going to have lunch with? These were my daily struggles and anxieties.
Today, I think many of you students have it even tougher. Back in my day, we at least didn’t have social media and smart phones to amplify the situation. Back then, we just had “dumb” phones (without even a texting plan) and desktop computers with only MSN Messenger or ICQ (look it up if you don’t know what these things are) — no Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, or even YouTube. So as a result, we were never constantly all connected and online; we never had the constant bombardment of dings from our phones or the expectation to be always available for everyone and anyone; and it was never expected of everyone to be up-to-date with whatever the latest trends or gossip was. But today, your world is different. These things that were not expectations in my social circles are now, at least in part, expectations upon yours. But at the end of the day, I think you and I still share those same common fears and anxieties of fitting in. The difference being though that the playing field for you is drastically different from mine; and in my opinion, also drastically more challenging.
But now, add on top of all this the issue of faith: how do I be a Christian in this context against the struggle of wanting to fit in?
Your context is a difficult one, it’s one where Christianity is, for the most part, not only despised and rejected but targeted as an evil. So as a result, that internal war between the desire to follow Christ and the desire to fit into the world is actually not so internal at all but rather clearly out in the forefront. How then can you hold onto what you know to be good and true and still survive the social pressures of the world? What do you do when everyone’s raving about the latest Snapchat gossip but you know it entangles you in sin? What do you do when you’re being openly slandered on Instagram or Facebook for your faith? What do you do when your teachers and your friends are all standing for moral issues that you know are fundamentally against Christian doctrine?
The struggle is real. But so is the hope. I want to share with you something that I read in my time with God from Psalm 3:1-4. I think these verses speak profoundly into the life of Christians struggling with the war for holiness and feeling surrounded by the foes of this world.
1 O LORD, how many are my foes!
Many are rising against me;
2 many are saying of my soul,
there is no salvation for him in God. Selah.
3 But you, O LORD, are a shield about me,
my glory, and the lifter of my head.
4 I cried aloud to the LORD,
and he answered me from his holy hill. Selah.
The context of this passage is 2 Samuel 15:13-17 when King David is running from his son, Absalom. A coup was in place to try to seize the throne and so David had to flee for his life. In his reflections thereafter, David wrote this psalm.
In the midst of being surrounded by those who wanted him dead, David is hard-pressed and in despair. In his turmoil, he brings his complaint before God and he tells of how his foes are saying that God cannot and will not save him (vv. 1-2). But his resolve is strong. In verses that then follow, he declares that the LORD is his shield and that his glory is actually found in God instead. Further, he knows that as he calls out to God, he’s actually heard and that the Living God will in fact respond to his cries (vv. 3-4).
While none of us are in a literal war at school, there is definitely a spiritual war that’s waged against our souls. Our enemies are spiritual ones and they appeal to our fleshly desires. These foes who stand against us include pride, selfishness, popularity, laziness, acceptance, defiance, and others. And then from these foes, they lead us toward a sinful pursuit of money, academic achievements, athletic accolades, and many more still. There’s a real war going on over our spiritual lives and just as it was for David, these foes are saying that there’s no hope for us in God and that these things are greater than what God can offer us in salvation. They’re telling us to stop trying to stand for holiness and to forfeit and “just fit in” with everyone else in the world instead.
But, may I then encourage you to turn to God as your shield and glory as well. The metaphor of God being our shield is easy to understand. As a towering wall, God sustains us and protects us from these threats. These foes are by no means greater than God. Even in our darkest moments, God does not allow us to be fully overcome. Instead, he always faithfully provides for us a way to overcome our temptations (1 Corinthians 10:13). So even as it weighs on you to conform, even as it weighs on you to change who you are for the sake of the world, look up to the God who saves! Even as insurmountable the struggle may feel, God’s got you. That’s a promise. It’s better to walk in his ways and be accepted by God than by people.
Extending that idea, what then does it mean that God’s our glory? In this, David reveals the source of where his worth is found — his worth, value, and glory is found in God alone. Despite what his foes may say of him and despite how they may spew lies upon him, he finds his worth in what his Heavenly Father sees in him instead. It doesn’t matter what others say about him, those things will all fade away like fads on the Internet. It matters only what his Father in Heaven sees and says of him; that has eternal value. In the same way, don’t hang your worth in who your peer may want you to be. Hang your worth instead in the way that God sees you, he is your glory; you are not your own, but you’ve been bought at a price (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Christ in you is your worth; your glory is not what you can do but what God has done and is doing in you.
So brother/sister, as you begin this school year, I know there will be constant pressures and struggles to conform and reform into the shape of the world. But my prayer for you is that you would recognize the reality of God’s truth for you instead. He is your shield. The enemy’s got nothing on him; God is greater. He is your glory. The lies that the world tells you of your worth are unfounded; it matters only what your loving Father in Heaven sees of you and you are his beloved son and daughter. Christ in you is your glory.
With that, I hope that your first days back to school have in fact been alright. But if you’re having a tough time right now starting off this new school year, do come and talk to me or any of the counsellors, we’d love to listen to what’s going on and pray for you.
For his glory,
Pastor Darren