Back to School: Getting Started Well

This is the beginning of the school year. Back to school means fees, schedules and home work. It’s a time when the reality of life really hits us. After a summer of do what you want, when you want, everyone is back to a very set routine. Whether you are glad school is back or not, the return of school is a great opportunity to reset your focus on the Lord. A lot of people don’t ever connect their school life with their spiritual life but the two go hand-in-hand. School is about learning and building relationships. Both of those things are at the heart of the Gospel. God wants to use what goes on inside and outside your school for His glory. Below are a few suggestions for getting this school year off to a great start:
1. Dedicate the school year to the Lord.
2. Begin to pray specifically for your teachers and classmates.
3. Talk as a family about how you will reach out to your classmates, their parents and the faculty and administration of your school with God’s love.
4. Consider picking one day a week, or one time a day, when you will pray together as a family for the school year and how it’s going and for specific challenges you may be facing.
5. Ask God to guide your relationships and open doors for you to share the Gospel. Each week when you get together be sure you talk about any people you are seeking to share with and how you are building that relationship.
6. Ask God to help you maintain a Christ-like attitude throughout the year.
7. Pick a theme verse for the year that you will memorize and can turn to for guidance throughout the year.
These are true of all types of schooling, not just traditional public school. This list could go on forever, but the point is simple. Be purposeful. Be sure you don’t let this be just another year of school. Make this year special by placing God at the center of it and you will have a great
year and God will use you in great ways.