Getting Over Senioritis

A friend emailed me a message stating that we have approximately 17 days left of school! Both of us are seniors graduating in May and I have to admit that both of us have a really bad case of senior-itis. If you don't know what that is - let me explain. We finally see the light at the end of the tunnel called college and we are so excited, so exuberant over the idea of walking down the aisle to receive our degrees that we walk daily in a fog. No longer are we concerned about our grades, no longer do we even care what the professors are talking about in our classes - we just want it over with and the only thing of great importance for us at this moment is Saturday, May 6th at 2:00 p.m.!.

Anyone who has watched me for the last 5 years attempt to receive my degree knows that my grades have been very important to me - not that I really think that employers really care what your gpa is - but I admit I'm an overachiever - if I do something - it has to be done in excellence (yes, that's a flaw worthy of another article on another day!). So for me, knowing at this point that I will graduate magna cum laude (thank you laude!) regardless of what grades I receive this semester, has not helped any!!! OOOOh, I've been soooo lazy! This semester I've turned into a procrastinator, a "B" student at best - and let's not talk about the dreaded math class I'm taking right now - I'll be glad to see a "C" (hey, a D is passing and that's alright with me!!!). So, why I am stating all of this? Well, I got to thinking (because that's what this column is about right?) about how we take this same attitude with our Christian walk. When we've been saved for a while (so called seniors in Christ) we become complacent, not as ambitious, not as committed to the things of God - we get a bad case of senior-itis!.

We think we've got this Christian thing down - we've learned some scriptures, we know how to rebuke the devil, we are comfortable praying in public and we can get through service on Sunday without thinking about what we're cooking for dinner, or what we have to do when we get home! We're senior Christians now!.But if we are honest, there are some things that we are not doing with quite as much fervor as we did when we first came to Christ. Do we look like that church in Revelation where the Lord said, "Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. (Rev.

2:4)? Are you still getting up early to meet the Lord and to bask in His presence? Do you spend more time in reality tv than in the reality of God's Word? Are you just so happy and content that you are going to see Jesus that you feel that you no longer have to work out your salvation? You know your graduation day (the day you meet the Lord) is coming so you don't need to do as much for the kingdom - let others witness and bring folk to Christ, let someone else work in that ministry (you're tired!), let someone else teach, let someone else give (you've been giving!) - let others worry about the growth of the church, the work of the church - you're a SENIOR SAINT - its time for you to sit back and wait for graduation! If you feel like this - you've got a bad case of senior-itis and you need to get over it!.I may feel like my time in college is coming to an end and I won't be required to do anything else in college after May, but I can't treat my Christian walk the same way! The Lord is requiring a closer relationship with Him - we ought to want to know more, do more, be more! Not just to say we've done works - but seeking to be as effective for Christ as we can. There is no time to get complacent, there is not time to sit back while others do the work! We must continue with the same fervor and excitement with which we began our journey with Him - He said that He would continue to do that work within us that He began - so we must continue to trust Him for that promise and get over our case of senior-itis.

©2006 Candie A. Price.

Arthur Price, Jr., is pastor. They are the proud parents of two daughters, Eboni Paige and Amyna Janel. WOW! emagazine can be found at http://www.wowemagazine.com.

For subscriptions contact Candie at ssbcwow@aol.com.

By: Candie A. Price