Ephesians 5:1-2, “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”
School is starting and that means back to… your laptops. What a difference a year can make with all of our new norms. We have so many differences, but also a lot of new opportunities. How many of you are done with school hours earlier than you used to be? How many of you text during your classes now with no fear of getting caught?! How many of us can roll out of bed five minutes before everything starts and hop onto our classes? So many of these things are new and nice, but we need to be careful with all this new freedom.
Hmm… what to do with too much time… That’s how this new school year might feel. You have more time (more time to sleep, more time to go out with friends, more time to talk to people) and I want to encourage you to take a look at that Ephesian’s verse as you are planning your time. It’s easy to stay out of trouble when your days are filled to the brim with classes, sports, and other extracurriculars. But now those are all gone. Take this time to develop your new rhythm, your new habits, your new tendencies. Frame those habits from the words of Ephesians.
Be an imitator of Christ. We are set free and have the opportunity to spread that Gospel message by our actions. Take seriously your influence on others and be a Christ-like one. Enjoy the beginning of your school year and your new normal, but look at it to see how you can make it a Christ-centered new normal.