Is Your Light Shinning?

I said I’ll continue, so am back to ask, ‘Is your light shinning?’

Let’s talk GPA! I don’t think this will go down well with everyone, but that’s exactly the point. We are normally so keen not to offend everyone, except God. So just allow me to step on your toe for today. hahaha

It All Begun In University

Since I was young, I had purposed in my heart to be a person of integrity. It wasn’t so hard, until I landed in University.

I remember back in primary school, I would sent to take the marking scheme (the MCQ ones), from one teacher to another. I never understood why my teachers thought that I would never peep or get my own copy on the way. This humbled me!

Then uni happened, being a person who love excellence, I really wanted to get a first class honors, hahaha! I know it’s achievable but am just laughing because I was not anywhere close to it.

Before that, I wanted to change my course, which I didn’t like initially (this is story for another day). That tells you that I didn’t concentrate on my studies that much, as a freshman.

Exams time 

Exam time in uni was crazy! cheating was the order of the day. I remember this particular time when I over heard someone asking his ‘neighbor’ for answers. Unfortunately the answers he was being given were out rightly wrong! I was sure about that, even though I didn’t know the right ones. I was definitely eaves dropping. But did I really have a choice!

My first and part of second years went on with me struggling to choose between the right thing and the convenient thing. And it was very hard! 

I remember this particular time I called a friend to bail me out on a question and she decided to give me her question paper with the answers (in points form) scribbled. I Got scared to death! We had to swap the question papers, plus I couldn’t explain any of the points. I panicked, and of course flopped. See how cheating is expensive!

After this experience, and a few other bad ones, I purposed in my heart that I would fully trust God with my studies. It was a secret personal decision that I couldn’t (back then) explain to my friends. This meant studying harder because ‘harambees’ (checking from my friends) were over! There were no more ‘clusters formations’ (deliberately sitting close to my friends during exams) and all that kind of thing. I even purposed to avoid my study mates in exam room, because I knew they would bail me out in case they saw that I was stuck. How philanthropic of them! haha!

I would also avoid wearing my specks during exams. This ensured that I could not see my ‘neighbors” answers. Thank God for my short sightedness.

God was working in me, I remember asking myself, what advice on integrity, I would offer to the kids that I teach, if I wasn’t walking the talk.

Don’t you think that if I really trusted God with my salvation, I could also trust Him with my studies?

There was this day I was praying during exams and God revealed me that He is the one who gives jobs and not a good fabricated GPAs. He even gave me an example of someone who has ‘As’ which are earned through cheating, the way he looks at them and sees Cs, Ds or  Bs. I Got convicted. I would rather get a B, C or even a D genuinely than a ‘stolen’ A. And if I was really in need of an A, I should work harder.

I remember how radical my exams prayers were. And whenever I would feel stuck or tempted to take a sneak peek on a neighbor’s paper, I would pray again.

What if academic test are life tests in disguise? What if they were testing our honesty, determination, self control, persistence, integrity or critical thinking? What if it’s a way of testing our concentration in class? What if it is a way of just testing our bravery? It’s not any brave to cheat. Is it?

Could it be that the intention is not really to test who can cram what, rather, who can use them later in life? Don’t get me wrong, am not advocating for mediocrity! Not at all! High GPA is good, but only when it’s genuine.

However, let’s look at education from a broader lens. If you didn’t really get that A but got skills and virtues, thank God for them. They are very important. If you got a good grade too (genuinely), it’s a plus! look at what else school taught you and treasure it.

It’s interesting how when I purposed not compromise, I performed better. This made me realize that you are just as stupid as you think you are! I didn’t know that depending on people was sabotaging my performance and ruining my reputation.

Though ‘As’ were now harder to ‘manufacture’ but even then, when I didn’t get the best, I knew whatever I got, was genuine, and I challenged myself to study harder.

Cheating has a way of encouraging laziness and closing our mind from thinking. Whenever I could not remember answers, I knew I only had myself and God to engage in this thinking game and come up with answers. I learnt how to depend on God completely for remembrance.

In Conclution

Am I just talking about uni, or studies? No! not at all! Probably you are there looking at this article and thinking, ‘this only applies to university students’.  ‘I already blew it’ N/A! Well, not really! This is just to remind us that we got to choose Christ 24/7. We can trust Him with our careers, while choosing our partners or in our businesses- without compromising.

God’s plan for us is perfect! We may not see it at the moment, but in the long run we will be grateful. God wants us as believers to stand out in the world, just as he wanted Israelites to stand out among idolaters. If you think His standards are way too High, ask Israelites how easy it was, to worship a God they could not see. Of course there are moments they tripped, but still stood up and got reconciled back to Him. And God was merciful, He still is. So if you’ve tripped, get up!

God wants us to trust him in everything. We should not be overcome by evil but we should overcome evil with good. In a world where everyone is compromising, choose to stand for what is right. It’s not easy, but it’s worth it. The bible also says in Romans 12:2 ‘Do not be conformed to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is-His good, pleasing and perfect will.’

Matthew 5:16

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

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