On Homework

Some of my biggest fears in life have always concerned homework. Yeah, I was that guy who would always ask everyone else in the class if we had anything due five minutes before class began. It’s not like I could do anything about it if there was an assignment and I forgotten about it. I wouldn’t have time to complete it anyway (although I got pretty good at doing my French homework in less than 5 minutes….).

Forgetting to do homework wasn’t the only thing I stressed about, though. I was always afraid I was going to leave a project at home or lose a paper that was due. I remember a particular case of this phobia when I was in first grade. I had forgotten to get my spelling test signed by my parents, so I had to sit out five minutes for recess. I bawled. I was terrified. I was a horrible student. My career as the “good kid” in school was now done. All the teachers at school would view me as a horrible student now. I would never live up to my brother’s legacy as the perfect kid. Yep, I really thought that. I can still picture the moment in my head. Well, the teacher let me go to recess anyway. Either she felt sorry for me, she thought I had psychological problems, or she just got tired of me crying like a sissy. I’m not really sure, but I got to enjoy recess for the day, and all the cute girls in class felt sorry for me. It was great.

My fear of not doing my homework has always been significant. It makes me wonder, though, why I am not nearly as concerned about doing the tasks that God requires of me. No, God doesn’t give us grades or sit us out for recess, but he is extremely disappointed when we don’t do what he asks us to do. Our assignments aren’t that crazy. He doesn’t make us all write books or come up with these elaborate schemes to save the world. He simply gives us a few commands, most namely, to love him with all of our being and to love the people that are around us. That’s pretty much it. Yes, there are other things that go along with it, but if we do those two tasks, everything else will fall into place as well.

If we don’t do those assignments God doesn’t fail us in life, and God’s grace does cover our shortcomings. However, we will have to give an account before him one day of all the things we have done. Yes, our misdeeds and failures will be covered by the blood of Jesus, but they are still there. God requires holiness of us. He wants our love. He is a jealous God.

Today, I can’t find any of my assignments for tonight’s class. It’s stressing me out. I have to have this project done by 3:00 and I don’t even know what I’m supposed to do yet. Talk about being worried. But at the same time, right now I’m a lot more concerned about my spiritual assignments. Have I done what God wants me to do today?

I’m afraid I’ve got some homework to finish, in more ways than one.