A reading from the Second Letter to Timothy:
For this reason I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you…; for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power of love and of self-discipline.
The course that gave me the most trouble in high school was grade 11 chemistry. The content just intimidated me. Moreover, I had classmates who always got 90s. I started to compare myself to them and started to believe that I was stupid. So I simply stopped trying. However, that changed with one interaction with my teacher.
By Tim Gouw from Unsplash.com
We were taking up homework and my teacher asked me to answer a question. “Sorry, I didn’t do it.” I replied. Instead of me telling me something along the lines of “as long as you tried your best” she looked at me with disappointment on her face and said, “No, I’m sorry.”
Her response triggered something in me. I got sick of feeling sorry for myself and believing I was stupid. I’m going to prepare for the next test until I get it.
It took a lot of self-discipline. I stayed after school seeking help. I studied my notes over and over again. I removed my computer and video games from my room. I didn’t hang out with my friends. And I went to bed early before my test. The day of the test came. Interestingly I felt excited to get it over with. The next day when I received my test I couldn’t believe it. In big red writing it said 100% at the top of my page. That was a moment that helped me realize the importance of self-discipline. I stopped comparing myself to others, and just did the work whether I felt motivated or not.
This was my experience. Some of you sitting before your exams right now may feel a little nervous, but confident nevertheless. On the other hand some of you may feel like I felt; unmotivated and unintelligent. That is the biggest lie you can tell yourself! You are not stupid. You have the capacity to excel in school; even to exceed your teachers’, parents’ and your own expectations. But you have to reach that moment where you decide from here on your going to be disciplined.
Let us pray,
In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Dear God, I thank you for the challenges in my life that push me to excel. I pray that you bring me a sense of calm when confronted with challenges. I have done my work preparing, and now I turn to you because I know you can offer me a calm mind and spirit during this stressful time. I pray this in Your name. Amen.
In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
