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How I've Survived: School

How I've Survived: School

Mark Preston began our meeting by bringing a message on another of the Beatitudes, "Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy," Matthew 5:8. He reminded us that the word "blessed" means "happy," but in the context of the Beatitudes, speaks of a more profound happiness than that which can be found in the world: a joy which can only be experienced through a personal relationship with Christ. As for the word "merciful," it speaks of showing forgiveness.

The greatest demonstration of mercy is that of the Lord Jesus - despite our sinfulness, He loves us and chose to take upon Himself the price of our sin, so that we could be reconciled to Him. Titus 3:5 tells us that we are saved "not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy." Mark mentioned the well-known words of the Lord's Prayer "forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors," (Matthew 6:12) - as the Lord has shown mercy to us, we should show mercy to others.

Mark finished the study with a reminder of the extent of God's mercy - it is mercy that assures us blessedness that will last for all eternity.

Lauren Hall then joined us (starts at 3:25 in recording) to look at how a Christian can survive and thrive in school. Having experience of secondary school as both a pupil and now a teacher, Lauren knows well how busy school life can be - with so much pressure and so many deadlines it can be a stressful time! Such a busy life can remind us of the apostle Paul who experienced so many different roles and adventures during his time.

An essential for Paul during his life was his Christian friends whom he surrounded himself with. Paul relied on friends like Timothy and Silas as he served God. When Paul had to flee persecution, he was worried for the church he had left behind in Thessalonica but was able to trust Timothy to go there in his place to spend time with the believers. Their friendship shows us the importance of having other Christians around us whom we can rely on - Paul and Timothy were able to comfort each other, rebuke each other and build each other up in the Lord. Timothy would take risks for Paul and Paul knew he could trust him. This sort of friendship is invaluable and we read in Paul's letters to the Thessalonians of his gratitude for it.

Lauren talked about how school is an opportunity to witness - to have consistent contact with such a large group of people throughout years at school is a chance to be a real example of God's love. But it can be hard to stand up for God while facing all the pressures young people do at school. When Lauren looked back at her days at secondary school, it was her closeness with other Christians that helped her in her faith. Her group of friends would be intentional about meeting together for prayer and Bible study, doing so regularly. This allowed them to prepare themselves for the hardships they would face in school and for the questions they would face from non-Christians. Christian friends are something we should praise God for!

Lauren spoke of how Christians can be witnesses for God in so many ways in school - not only in 'big' things when you've reached upper school and worldly temptations are perhaps more prominent, but in small things too. Things as simple as wearing your mask to show that you care about others, choosing which jokes to laugh at so as to not hurt others who are being made fun of and normalising conversations about church and other Christian groups you attend are all small ways you can be an example for Christ. Even the small things can seem scary but we can rely on the Lord's help and support from godly friends.

Lauren also talked about her experience being a Christian teacher in a secondary school - Christian friends and colleagues are still invaluable and they like to meet regularly to pray together. Church too is an important element, allowing her to recharge and prepare for the week ahead.