Back to School
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17
It’s back-to-school season once again. At the beginning of the school year, everything is possible. Every student has the opportunity to get all As, be a star of their chosen sport, or the most popular student. Each lecture or classroom activity is planned to go perfectly. Soon enough, though, teachers, students, and staff discover that this will not be the perfect school year after all. Students will struggle in class, not understanding particular concepts or assignments, and teachers will struggle with keeping up with preparation, or grading, or classroom management. Before we know it, the school year we were so anxious to begin becomes a semester that we can’t wait for to end. Why is this?
We all know the true cause of all these problems: sin. Because of the fall into sin, we live in an imperfect world. We need look no further than our own lives for the devasting impact of sin. Just as we start every school year with the potential of perfection that is immediately crushed, so we begin each day with intentions to live as better Christians only to find that we fail instantly and often. As Paul writes, “For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.” (Romans 7:19-20)
So, what do we do? If we take the humanistic solution, we would rely on ourselves to figure out a way to improve, perhaps trying to apply some self-help advice. We know, though, that this won’t work because as humans, we are all sinful: “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) Instead, we need to look for our solutions in the Word of God. In that Word, we find the pure gospel message of the forgiveness of sins and eternal life. Even though we sin daily, Christ’s death has paid for our sins, and we now stand before God fully justified and saved.
Heavenly Father, whenever we begin a new year or new day, let us be reminded that though we are sinful, Your mercies are new every day. Amen.