Cramming for Exams

March 21

Cramming for exams is part and parcel of what students do. It isn’t that they wouldn’t prefer to have advance time to prepare for tests, it’s just that they are so swamped with books to read, reports to write and internet research to do that they haven’t time to spend on test preparation—until the last minute when they stay up all night to get ready!

We all tend to procrastinate, even if our schedules aren’t as tight as those of the average high school or university student. We put off things that lack our interest but require our attention. We put off unpleasant things that we’d rather not have to do. Finding time for those pleasurable pursuits that we enjoy is much less difficult.

But, ultimately, the test will come. It may not be one designed by a teacher that requires our perusal of a battery of material that he has required us to absorb; it may be the test that comes when our investments are calculated at retirement. The level of our involvement of ourselves in that endeavor will impact us for a lot longer than will those involving academics. But the ultimate test comes when the work we’ve done for the Lord is tried, when it is evaluated before His throne.

Yes, we know our salvation is dependent only upon the completed work of Jesus—but we are expected to labor in His vineyard when we have given our lives to Him. Ephesians 6:8 tells us, “You know the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does…” And I Corinthians 3:13, 14 says, “Fire will test the quality of each man’s work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward.” There can be no laxity in our service to Christ. May we prepare well and pass the test.