How to Study

By Marjorie Foerster Eddington

Question

How do I focus on studying when there's so much going on at school?

Answer

There is a lot going on at school!—classes and homework, sports and the arts, clubs and community service, not to mention the whole social scene. Then you have your life outside of school—family, church, other friends and commitments. It's no wonder that studying isn't always at the top of the list.

To help keep our priorities straight and to get our school work done, the Bible gives us a great key to success: "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 Tim 2:15 KJV).

Have you ever thought about yourself as God's workman or workwoman? Your job is to study about God, for God, and with God. Employed by God, we diligently work to understand God's words, to learn what is true about God and about us, and then to demonstrate what we know.

Because God approves of us, we do our best in everything. That's really all that is required of us—to do our best in our studies, in sports, in everything we do. It's when we don't do our best and know it that we start feeling "off," apathetic, even ashamed.

But what's true about God and us is that we're God's totally capable children. God has given us everything we need to succeed: "God can pour on the blessings in astonishing ways so that you're ready for anything and everything, more than just ready to do what needs to be done" (The Message, 2 Cor 9:8).

So when we feel less than enthusiastic, we can remember that we're studying to be our best selves. Even if we may not be enthusiastic about the subject matter, we can be enthusiastic about the qualities of God that we're expressing as we study. For instance:

• Math helps us practice precision and reasoning.
• Writing helps us with clear communication and details.
• Reading gives us the opportunity to use inspiration, intuition, and imagination.
• History lets us reason and analyze.
• Science helps us experiment and question.
• Drama provides creativity, courage, confidence.
• Other arts allow us to be harmonious and visionary.
• Sports enable us to express athleticism and power.

Every subject matter gives us the opportunity to express countless qualities of God, to work on our craft, and to be grateful that God has given us everything we need. That makes studying worth it. We're God's workers!