My school and my faith:

My school and my faith: An alumnus explains that how we view academics matters greatly

At our National Honor Society induction this year, we were privileged to welcome back MCS alumnus, Luke Miller, Class of 2011. We asked Luke to share his testimony and what the Lord has been teaching him since his time at MCS. What Luke chose to share however, was a well- thought out description of how his faith informs his perspective on academics. Indeed, this was a perfect subject for an audience of students who worked diligently to receive the academic honor of NHS!

Luke’s primary point was that for the Christian, academics must be done for the glory of Jesus Christ. He explained nine ways that this can be accomplished and challenged our students to keep these in mind when studying:

1. We do academics for Jesus Christ by not worshiping them. You should sacrifice many things for your schoolwork, but your relationship with Christ is not one of them. He comes first.

2. We do academics for Jesus Christ by seeing Him in what we are studying. All the amazing things that we learn point back to the Creator.
   

3. We do academics for Jesus Christ by recognizing that the wisdom of God is infinitely greater than the wisdom of human beings. The most brilliant minds we know cannot compare with the wisdom of God.
   

4. We do academics for Jesus Christ by developing our minds for Christian thinking. This practice enables us to be more ready to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength.
   

5. We do academics for Jesus Christ by learning to think about everything Christianly. In this way, we learn to see everything in light of Christ and the truth of Scripture.
   

6. We do academics for Jesus Christ by doing them for others. We must daily ask ourselves, “How can I use what I’m learning to bless others with the goodness of Christ?
   

7. We do academics for Jesus Christ by caring more about the people around us than about the grades on our papers. Second only to the infinitely valuable God, the most valuable thing in the universe is those that have been made in His image, as a reflection of Him – other people.
   

8. We do academics for Jesus Christ by seeking to do them well. Fundamentally, we pursue excellence because we are working to honor Christ (I Cor. 10:31).
   

9. We do academics for Jesus Christ by using them to obtain influential positions in the world so that we may impact society with the Gospel message. By God’s grace, academics can open up unique circles of influence.

These are powerful truths and we are proud that MCS was able to be a part of Luke’s spiritual training. This is the perspective that I want for my children and I am always grateful when the Lord provides clear examples that when faithful parents provide a faithful, Biblically sound education, the results are worth every penny!