Success is a world standard

So I was doing the math today. Last week was pretty much my worst week. I had five exams that I did equally poorly on, and now I'm getting grades back, and it sucks, because I killed myself over these stupid tests, but there is literally no reward. And the professor handed my that glimmering 72% and my first reaction was, "What can I do from here to bring my grade up?" Next came the thought that really should've broken me: "How can I be a successful adult and support myself financially with these grades?" 

I find it very easy to forget sometimes that God didn't put me in this place to be financially secure. He doesn't care about my favorite jeans or the shoes I wore to class today. And he doesn't think I should care either. Why should I have designer sunglasses? What exactly is the endgame to purchasing $180 polarized lenses? The chemistry of polar compounds and stereochemistry is interesting, certainly. But purchasing those sunglasses isn't going to edify God.

In Philippians, Paul and Timothy are sharing a lot of wisdom with the early Christians in Philippi. There's a lot of instruction, and a fair bit of [constructive] criticism regarding the way the Philippians had been living since the crucifixion. There's a lot in Philippians that I've learned from, because sometimes (more often than I'd like to admit to) I live like someone who's forgotten the sacrifice that was made for me. 

Philippians 4:6-7 
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

A friend recently dropped this passage on me with his own bit of wisdom. Josh is such a passionate follower, and his love of the word is a constant inspiration in my own walk. "Do you know what supplication means? To humbly pray and petition to God. That's what he wants. He wants to talk to us." Picture a nineteen year old boy vibrating with excitement over the prospect of talking with such an awesome Creator. 

Peace isn't the absence of care. I will always care about my grades, because I know God has blessed me with a passion for this subject matter to further His Kingdom in my own life, and to do that, I need to not fail out of college. But His peace in me means that I won't be burdened by my grades, because my worth doesn't come from them. As long as I seek the Kingdom first, God will guide me through the rest.