Going Back to School? Here's Some Advice!

Here's a few things (some spiritual, some practical, some just fun) to consider as you head into a new school year. Keep in mind, most of this is just my opinion, so you can take it or leave it.

• Put Jesus first every day. Keeping your priorities straight can be very difficult. I wasn't as disciplined as I could have been when I was in high school, and I know how early they make you get to school, so this might be difficult. But I believe that if you offer God the first-fruits of your day by spending some time alone with Him in the morning (just 10 or 15 minutes, if that's all you have), you will see great things happen. Doing this will help you focus throughout the day, and it will be a great way to get your heart right and hear God's direction for you. Most of the time, the way God leads us is through the little things we do every day, and it's so important that we stay close enough to Him that we can hear His voice throughout the noise of the day.
• Be Open to the Holy Spirit. It's easy to get stuck in a routine. You follow your schedule, go to class, go to lunch and sit at the same table every day, and go home at a certain time. This is how high school typically works. But be open to the Holy Spirit, and listen for anything that He might show you. You may be on your way to class, and a thought comes in your head, "maybe I should go this way today." You follow that little prompting, and run into somebody that needs some encouragement. Through little things like this, God can use us to be His hands and feet everywhere we go, even when we think we're just going about our routine. It's amazing what God will do when we just obey Him in everything!
• Gaurd your thoughts. Everything we do begins with what we choose to dwell on. Gaurd your mind like you'd gaurd the most valuable possession you own. There are so many distractions, and they come at us so fast, and from so many difficult angles, that it can be very difficult to stay focused on God. But if you will surrender to Him and ask, "Lord, help me gaurd my thoughts today," He will. And for a good guide on what you should be dwelling on, read Phillipians 4:8.
• Take a "Spiritual Bath." - I always found that, whenever I'd come home from high school, no matter how much I tried to keep my focus on God, I would still collect alot of junk as the day wore on. Sometimes it's a good idea to come home, get alone with God before doing anything else, and do a little bit of fine tuning. This way the crap that tried to latch onto you during the day won't be dragging you down that evening.
• Learn to love everybody. We live in a culture that only values people for selfish reasons. The nature of our flesh is to only befriend those whose fellowship can improve our social standing. Why? Because when we aren't confident in who we are in Christ, we are all insecure, whining babies, and we are looking for someone or something else to redeem us and give us value. Get over that as fast as you can. Learn to trust God with your identity. You are who He says you are, and He loves you. What else could you possibly need? When you learn to let God fill you with His love, you will be able to pass that love on to others. It will change the way you do everything. Every time to talk to someone, ask God to show you how He feels about that person, and to help you feel the same way. If we are going to be Christlike, we are going to have to be compassionate.
• Screw your reputation. Was that a bit forward? Sorry. No one cares. It's about you and Jesus. That's it. If you spend all your time manipulating people so they will like you, you're just going to make a mess of things. Do things because you love to do them, not because you think they will impress someone else.
• When all else fails, stare at the ceiling. Gentlemen, you know of what I speak.
• Set an example. When the people you're with are acting like idiots, you don't have to join in. If you think you can keep your friends by badmouthing your teachers, talking dirty in the locker room, and insulting everyone who's not part of your clique, you are wrong. Even worse, you are publically disgracing Jesus. Does that sound a bit strong? Well, if you claim to follow Jesus, then people are going to be watching you. And everything you do will be a reflection of His character.
• Want better grades? Be interested! I know, this can be really difficult with some classes and some teachers. But if you complain about a class and focus on how dull it is, or if you look for something about it that interests you, you're going to be doing the same amount of work. You have to be there regardless, so it's better to just let yourself enjoy what you can. Who knows? Mayble you'll find something you like enough to major in when you go to college. Oh, and you can be interested in a subject you're learning with school without being a nerd. Studying for classes and being competent do not necessarily require duct-tape glasses and pocket protectors. You can get an A without being the goofy, gangly kid who takes naps underneath the drinking fountain. Really! It's true!
• Do everything to God's glory. Want a good way to make sure you give your best in everything you do? Imagine that you are doing it for Jesus. Because, ultimately, everything that we do is for Him--even the most mundane, trivial, stupid piece of busy work. Why? Because every trivial little decision we make today is shaping us into the people that we will be tomorrow. We want to be people who God can use to glorify His name. It starts with being dilligent and faithful where you are right now.
• Make the most of everything. You only have these years once. Don't give yourself any reason to think "I wish I would have..." when you are older.
• Love reading good books! Then you can be a literary critic or a philosopher when you grow up!!! What, no? No? No literature for you? OK, whatever. To each his own...
• X-Box is for dumples. Video games are what people do when they have nothing better to do with their lives. Sure, they're a fun diversion once in a while, but if you spend more time playing Halo or some other game than you do having conversations with real people, you should probably ask yourself, "Am I really happy with this?" Please, do me a favor, and don't waste your life away in front of a screen.
• Tanning is ugly, and it gives you cancer. Sorry, I just had to go there. Girls--a guy with any sense will not find the "burnt toast" look to be even remotely attractive. Plus, they don't want you to die at 35. Guys--if you are tanning, or even thinking about tanning, you should think of as many derogatory terms as you can, and glue them to your forehead. I really shouldn't have to spell that out.
• Don't act like a jock, even if you are good at sports. You're just being a butt. You'll make more real friends, and avoid all kinds of drama, if you just treat everyone with respect.

That's all I can think of for now. I started out with some good ideas, then I digressed into whining about all the things I didn't like about high school... so I should probably just stop for now. I'll add more tidbits of advice as I think of them!