The start of school is just a great time. There is excitement and optimism for the coming school year, but there are also some responsibilities of which those who wish to be godly need to be aware.

First, you need to be aware of your language. Paul wrote, “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth” (Ephesians 4:29). School is full of profanity and euphemisms, but it is also full of gossip and slander. You need to check your words very carefully so that you do not sin (Matthew 12:36).

Second, you need to be aware of your dress. God demands that we dress with “modest apparel with shamefacedness and sobriety” (1 Timothy 2:9). Much of what one sees in school is immodest and causes lust among others (Matthew 5:28). Is any article of clothing that must be pulled up, pulled down or too tight truly modest?

Third, you need to be aware of your friends. In 2 Samuel 13, Amnon had an ungodly affection for his sister Tamar. Amnon’s friend Jonadab hatched a plot for Amnon to commit rape with his sister. If you friends are leading you to commit sin, you need to find new friends (1 Corinthians 15:33)!

School can be a wonderful experience, but it can also be a pitfall for those who wish to be righteous. God wants us to live “soberly, righteously and godly” (Titus 2:12). Be on guard and you will be happy you did!

Kyle Campbell