By Tamika Alexander, age 16
I’ve been guilty of asking God to do something for me without putting forth any effort. One time in particular is when I took a math test. Even though I didn’t study on some tests, I still prayed and the results weren’t always what I wanted them to be.
Math has never been my strongest subject, and as a result, I never found a good way to study. I simply don’t know how to study for math. It’s difficult for me. One day I walked into class and I felt very apprehensive about the test. I prayed before I began and then took the test. About week later I got my grade and it was not good. This repetitively happened. I couldn’t understand why I could not get a good grade on things I thought I already knew. In my mind, I either knew it or I didn’t.
Later on in the school year, I was going to have a usual math test. The only difference between then and the beginning of the school year was that I was now receiving tutoring from the church. This not only helped me with my understanding, but I was also utilizing my free periods and after school time to meet with my teacher before tests. I began to lose the mentality that I didn’t need to study because I thought I already knew how to answer the problems. Gladly, that thought process stopped.
Prior to the test, I re-did math problems, re-read math definitions and I prayed. I went to math class and I sat ready to take the test. I prayed before I got the test and I began going. I felt like I was in control of the entire test, just because I simply re-did the problems I already did. I know this wasn’t only me. But God helped me as well. About a week later, I got my test back and I got 100% on it! I thanked God a lot for it. I couldn’t understand how it took me so long to get a good grade like this.
That Tuesday we had Bible study and Deacon Howard was our teacher. Our lesson talked about in order to receive from God you must sow into Him. I can’t expect God to help me on a math test and get a good grade on it if I don’t study for it. It’s like not putting gas in a car and expecting it to go somewhere. During the class, we discussed how what I had been going through in math was a good example, not only for the lesson, but for our growth as well. The lesson doesn’t only apply to math, but it applies to our everyday life and growth in God.