The Idolization of Grades
Ask any of my family members and they'll tell you how adamant I was about not going to college because of how much I struggled with academics in high school. It wasn't until my senior year that I decided "hey, I should probably do more with my life than just have a few part time jobs and live at home". So I decided to enroll, and here I am... still living at home with the same part time jobs, but now I'm getting an education and a few more stress pimples to go along with it! (In all seriousness though, I am very grateful to even have the opportunity to further my education).
The go-to comfort phrase that my family always used before I started college was "Cs get degrees" which honestly didn't make me feel much better because of how much I already doubted myself. But then...*cue suspenseful music*... something unexpected happened... I got good grades! The girl that was literally crying the year before because she didn't want to go to college was on the Chancellor's List?!? That's right, ya girl got on the honor roll both semesters of Freshmen year. Which brings me to the whole point of why I'm writing this... grades have become my idol.
As soon as I realized that receiving a perfect GPA was actually an attainable goal, it became a necessity for me. Not only that, it has become a measure by which I have determined my own self worth and compared myself to others. I don't feel like I even need to explain why this is wrong. Our God-given conscience tells us that this kind of thinking is self-centered and prideful. And guess what, after this semester, I will no longer be able to have a haughty attitude about my perfect grades.
Sometimes God lets us slip so that we will fall back into His arms. This is a very small, unimportant in the grand scheme of things, example of this truth. Basically, I hope this post encourages whoever is reading this, and myself included, to not become prideful over the things God has blessed us with. One day when I see Jesus face to face, He's probably not going to ask me about my grades or praise me for working hard. If any of our accomplishments are even mentioned in heaven, I am sure they will be in the context of God being the author of those good things and that He will receive all the glory. In the end "every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no change or shifting shadow." - James 1:17
Grades are not supremely important. What is important is that I work my hardest, doing everything unto the glory of God (1 Cor. 10:31) and leave the rest in His hands. Anything that you are living for apart from the glory of God will fade away and you will one day realize how much time you've wasted on temporal things. Kill every idol in your life that keeps you from worshiping God. Sometimes our idols are good things from God that we have put utmost importance on. The obsession over having good grades is one thing I need to put to death. What are you living for?
"Help us not be haste when it comes to temporal blessings, and always see them for what they're actually meant to be. A mere extension of your loving-kindness extended to an undeserved humanity. Help us not see greater value in the gifts you give and not become distracted from their intended desires, may we regard the world and all that is in it as nothing compared to the satisfaction of knowing our Messiah." - Messiah, Beautiful Eulogy
