A worry-free exam

The spring semester is nearing its end. My desk is buried under piles of papers and notes. It is exam time, and my nerves are starting to become frayed.

I sit hunched over my desk with my nose in my books. This is how I have been sitting these past weeks. A few days from now, when my exams are finished it will be over. Until then, though, I still have a few stressful days and a knot in my stomach.

Final exams bring a lot of stress and anxiety. I stay awake late into the night to get through the curriculum, and pray quietly for a reasonable examiner. But is all this stress really necessary?

In 1 Peter 5:7 it says, “casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” It is written in the Bible not to be anxious. Why?

“But what if I get a poor grade on my exam?” I think; “Will God give me a good grade if I am not anxious?” Or does it mean something different? In Romans 8:28-29 it is written that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. That means that regardless of the grade I receive on the exam, it is for my best.

What is the best for me? The Bible teaches us that by destroying the evil in my nature (the Bible calls it “putting sin to death,”) then anxiety, complaining, unthankfulness, etc. can be replaced with peace, goodness, and thankfulness, which have eternal value! I can do this regardless of how I do on the exam. I can do God’s will just like Jesus did, and I can become unbelievably happy!

The final days of intense studying suddenly seem a little easier when I bring to mind that I have a God who has arranged everything perfectly for me. Obviously I need to study and do my best, but because I know that by faith and obedience to God everything happens for the best for me, I do not need to be worried, regardless of the results on the exam.

I go back to my books again; there is a lot of material to cover before the exam!