Every college student knows the struggle of midterm season. The late, sleepless nights spent cramming for exams you have within the next 12 hours, or the self-isolation so many of us put ourselves through in a desperate attempt to focus. No matter what your method to conquer the madness of midterm season we all know the anxiety that comes along with the cooling down of the weather and the warming up of scantron readers.
Everyone has different coping mechanisms they use to combat the never ending anxiety and sleep deprivation that midterm season inevitably drags in with it, mine just so happens to be going to the Gospel. I can't tell you the number of times that I've found a perfect verse to reassure me when I am filling stretched thin or insufficient because I'm not fully prepared for an exam. Here are just a few of the verses that have brought me comfort in the past and that will be my reminders as I take on the month of October and the endless midterms I have this semester.
1. Colossians 3:15
https://www.google.com/amp/s/wiirocku.tumblr.com/post/163723780991/colossians-315-nlt-and-let-the-peace-that/amp
I think this is just great verse to remind ourselves of every day because while we are running around like chickens with our heads cut off trying to get all of our work done we still have Christ's peace given to us. If that doesn't encourage you I don't know what will.
2. 2 Thessalonians 3:16
God will ALWAYS be with us! His peace is eternal and is something we can have at every second of every day, whether we feel it or not. So we just have to remind ourselves that He gives us that peace freely and it is up to us to seek Him in order to obtain it.
3. Psalm 55: 22
God loves us and wants us to talk to HIm. A relationship with Christ is just that, a relationship. You tell your friends and family about the things you're struggling with or that are causing you unnecessary stress so why not tell God? He wants us to talk to Him and let Him take care of our burdens.
4. Proverbs 12:25
When we are filled with anxiety we are tired and can't see past the moment we are in because we are concerned with the lack of time we have to get everything done. All it takes is the smallest of gestures to change our mood and remind us that our stress over getting a 4.0 isn't worth it and that we are not defined by our grades or how well we do on an exam.
5. Hebrews 13:5 - 6
God is with you in your studying and when you are taking that orgo exam. Whether you believe that to be true or not, it is true and that brings me confidence when I feel at my lowest.
6. Romans 8:38 -39
God doesn't care if you fail an exam or if you pass it with flying colors. Absolutely nothing can make Him love us any less, so when society defines us by our grades, God is defining us by His unconditional love for us.
7. 1 Corinthians 15: 57
Spoiler alert: God wins! If you don't know what that means, it means that by extension we have already won the greatest of prizes as well — eternal life. That means that we can have confidence in knowing that no matter how wrecked we get by midterm season we can overlook all of that because God already overcame it all.
8. 2 Corinthians 4:18
The things of this world, yes that includes midterms, are temporary. We have to remind ourselves that we don't live for the temporary. We live for the end goal — eternal life. That means that we don't have to put so much pressure on ourselves to be perfect in this lifetime.
9. John 14:27
God's peace is not the same as worldly peace, and that is so encouraging! That means it is perfect peace that is restful and overcomes all of our anxieties and worries no matter how big. Worldly peace is moment to moment, Christ's peace is eternal.
10. Psalm 139:16
The fact that God knew how I was going to do on my pre-calc exam before I was even born is so reassuring. I say that because it means that He knows how much we are going to stress over it, He knows the emotional breakdowns we will have over it, and through it all He still cares for us and loves us no matter what.
11. Isaiah 41:9 - 10
This verse is such a sweet reminder that our works on this earth are futile. We are here to serve God whether that is in our academics or in all the other things we do in our lives. So no matter how well we do on our midterms God is not going to cast us aside, instead He is going to strengthen us and sanctify us to look more like HIm.
12. Jeremiah 17:7
If I trust in my abilities and wisdom I will fail every single time. If my confidence is in Christ and the promises He has given to us then I will never be let down or get hurt.
13. Proverbs 18:10
There is power in weakness, and that power Is the Lord Jesus Christ. When we are struggling or at our lowest points He allows us to nestle into Him and find refuge from the storms of life.
14. Psalm 94:18 - 19
Midterm season can be daunting and can cause a lot of strife. God promises that in those moments of weakness, or when we feel like we can't take it anymore, He will be there to restore us and to comfort us.
15. Romans 8:28
All things will work together for good doesn't mean that you will ace all of your exams, but it does mean that what is meant to be will happen. God has a way of piecing together the puzzle even when we can't see the big picture, and that's all that matters.
Whether your midterm season is a week, or it spans the months of September and October I hope that you find some peace in these verses. Sometimes it's nice to be reminded that my words aren't nearly enough to provide me peace so I go to the only place that I know can supply it without fail, the Bible. I hope this (not exclusive) list of verses brings you some form of peace now and in the future!
