May has arrived and with it we find our Sunday morning set up a little different, with the usual raked seating pushed back and replaced by rows of numbered desks and chairs, all set up for exam season.  It is at this time of the year that many of our young (and not so young) people at school and in further education face exams.  It can be a stressful time for all those involved as they face situations that could affect their future.  Indeed, even for those of us for whom that stage of life has passed, it can still provoke strong reactions and memories when faced with the exam set up on a Sunday morning!!  

Exams, of course, are designed to test our knowledge and ability in a particular subject and the mark we receive is meant to be a measure of that ability.  This mark is seen by many as the determining measure as to whether we gain acceptance into the next stage of our life and career, whether that be to further education or a job.  Very often, however, this idea of having to prove our worth or ability spills over into other areas of our lives, and even into our relationship with God.  Even as Christians we very often fall into the trap of feeling we need to do something that will gain God’s acceptance and approval.  It is worth reminding ourselves again of those wonderful verses in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians:

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith -  and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast
Eph 2:8,9

Paul is reminding us here that God doesn’t accept us on the basis of anything we have done or will do, but purely by his grace, his unmerited love for us.  We can never prove our worth to God.  He knows what we are worth and he paid the ultimate price for us.  We are more precious to God than we can ever understand.  If we can grasp this and know how loved and accepted we are by our heavenly Father, then this will ultimately affect how we approach every area of life, including exams.

Whether you are facing exams in this season, or indeed, any stressful or challenging situation, it is worth remembering these words from the prophet Isaiah:

Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid.  The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation.
Is 12:2

As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, we can face every situation in life with the confidence of knowing that we have nothing to prove, and that our God is with us and for us.

Much love

Jon