From a young age, it's engrained in our minds that our identity rests within worldly things - sports, fashion, relationships, education. Sure, these things are of some importance, but they don't define who we are. You are not a sports team, or an article of clothing. You are not the relationship with your significant other, and, above all else, you are not your grades.
Don't get me wrong, I highly value my education and care about my grades (especially being the child of an educator). However, the thing is that maybe I care about my grades too much. I often catch myself comparing my worth to my GPA and the grades I make in the classroom... This wasn't something I worried about in high school. I could miss a week of class then, catch up in a day, and still finish the semester with an A. But if I miss two days of class in college, my grade has dropped from an A to G (don't worry, Dad. A "G" isn't really a thing you can get in college).
I'm so terrified of doing bad in a class within my major this semester that I'm putting off preparation. That's not how things should go. I shouldn't be ridden with such painful anxiety over classes that I'm physically sick to my stomach... that I've had a stress-induced migraine for three days simply from thinking about all of the things I have to do and the things that ride on me passing all of my classes this semester. In all honesty, if the worst thing that happens to me this week is not doing well on a test, then I'd say I'm pretty lucky in comparison to what it could be.
I know that a lot of us are stressed right now as finals lurk ahead with glowing eyes. We just have to remember that our identity does not rest within our grades. Sure, they're important. But they're only important right now. Our grades our temporary in comparison to the things God has planned for us. Our identities should not rely on our GPAs, but instead in Christ and Christ alone. You are not your grades. You are not your major. You are a son/daughter of God. He will still love you if you don't do well on a test or don't pass a class. It's okay. We are not our "failures"
Find peace in the Lord during this stressful week. It's the last stretch. I promise you, God's got this, even if you don't (and in knowing that, yes, you should study).
