If you are a Christian and at the same time a student, and you wish to serve God and do well on your study but struggling how to balance things out, I pray that this would be helpful for you.
如果你是个基督徒学生，且希望能够同时服侍神和在课业上做得好，却面对如何平衡两方面的话，我祈愿这篇文章对你有所助益。
1. Set the priority right. 正确的优先次序
As a Christian, our first calling is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever. God is and must be always on the top of our priority list. He is our Lord, He owns us. Then the His righteousness and kingdom, then His church, then study, ourselves being the last. The church here means the 'Invisible Church', which is the universal body of Christ, including all the saints from the past and future, nearby and distant, in contrast to 'Visible Church', which is a particular community in certain area. The reason that Church being above study is simple, for Christian is a eternal calling, while student is a temporal one, and bible teach us to set our sight on eternal rather than temporal. And since He owns us, and we understand that being student at a particular time is His assignment for us, hence we shall always prioritize and honor this vocation rather than ourselves interests.
作为基督徒，我们的首要呼召是要荣耀神，并以他为乐直到永远。上帝必须在我们的优先次序的顶端。他是主，我们是他所拥有的。其次，他的公义和国度，然后他的教会，再然后是课业，最后才是我们自己。这里所指的教会是‘无形教会’，指的是基督普世性，包括了过去和未来，近处或远处的主内肢体。相对于‘有形教会’指的是某一特定区域内的群体。之所以教会当优先于学业是因为‘基督徒’是个永恒的呼召，‘学生’是暂时的，而圣经教导我们当定睛与永恒，而非暂时的事物。且既然我们是属他的，并且明白作为一个学生是他在这时候给与我们的呼召，所以我们当尊荣这个使命，并将这身份置于我们个人的兴趣之上。
Such priority list is important for it set the standard on how we would and should organize our use of time, money, and other resources to accomplish the calling He set before us, especially when we are in dilemma of making decision. Shall we go to church when we have exam on the next day, and we yet to revise all the material? May I skip Christian Fellowship as I am yet to complete the lab report which due to hand in an hour after CF? Can we ignore church choir or any other ministry that we once plead to commit, to rush for assignment which would affect our grade at the end of the semester? All these are hard decision, which could easily made if we have the priority first set up.
先设定如此的优先次序是重要的。他帮助我们如何计划、使用我们的时间、金钱或其他资源来完成他的呼召。这尤其在我们面对困难的抉择时特别重要。明天就要考试了，而且我还没有温习所有的课业内容，那我们还要去教会崇拜吗？我的实验报告还没有完成，而且团契结束后一个小时就得呈上，那我可以不去团契吗？我知道我曾立志要委身于这个服侍，但是我可否先赶完这份会影响期末成绩的作业呢？这些都不是容易做的决定，但是立定了优先次序，我们将相对容易的作选择。
2. Discipline and self denial 纪律和舍己
The dilemma we often face in the last part is because of our failure to discipline ourselves. We use the time for study for games, Facebook, movies, etc. We spend our money on entertainment, brands, new phone gadget that is to release tomorrow, instead of on trainings, books, other equipments that could directly enhanced our ministry and study. We fail to focus on the One who called us from above and the tasks He set before us. The consequence is that we stack up a lot of unfinished assignments until the very last minute, which at the end of day put us in the difficult situation to make hard decision.
之所以我们时常面对在上面提到的矛盾，很多时候是因为我们无法自律。我们将应该温习的时间花费在电玩、‘非死不可’、电影等。我们将钱花在娱乐、名牌、明天发行的新手机附属零件，而不是对我们的服侍或课业有帮助的训练、书籍或其他器材。我们无法专注于完成那从天上来的呼召。结果，我们累计许多未完成的作业，至终陷于两难之间，‘被逼’作困难的选择。
If we could accept a less delicious food served in the college instead of walking an hour walking distant to get a nice food, so that we save more time to study; if we could spend the money on good dictionary and fine reference book instead of pre-order Diablo III; if we could just fast from FB and i-phone for some time so that we can fully concentrate on assignments, however desperate we are to beat other on Tetris Battle or update with the status of some 'special one'; if we could stay at home to study, both scripture and academic text books, instead of watching the title deciding football match of the century, ... all the dilemma shall reduce much, if not disappear all together.
如果我们愿意为了有更多时间温习，所以接受学院食堂没那么好吃的事物，而非到要花费一段时间到另一个地方享受美食；如果我们将钱花在好词典和参考书而非最新的电玩；如果我们能够暂时脱离＇非死不可＇，即使我们多么希望知道＇某些人＇最新的情况，至为了专心作业；如果我们愿意待在家学习神的话语和课业，而非到大荧幕前追看决定性的球赛，．．．那么即使上面所提的困难不会完全消失，问题也会减少很多。
We are called to bear the cross, to denial ourselves. The cross is never light nor painless, but it ultimately bring glory and joy.
我们被召原就是要背十架，要舍己。十字架永远都不容易背，且是痛苦的，但最终必会带来喜乐和荣耀。
3. Faith, prayer and wisdom. 信心，祷告和智慧
Suppose you had done 1 and 2 in an adequate fashion, and you still struggle with your performance, or worry about it, may I suggest that you are lack of faith in God? Sometime we know the priority and the discipline of life as a Christian student, but we tend to depend on ourselves, but not having faith in God. Do we really believe that 'Seek first my kingdom and righteousness, all the wisdom you need for your assignment and grade you need shall be given unto you'? Do we constantly pray for wisdom, and assured that He 'gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.'? Is He Lord over our study, and the source of wisdom and understanding?
如果你确实地按照１和 ２的提示进行，但仍然担心表现（比如考试成绩），请容许我问这个问题：您是否对上帝缺乏信心？许多时候我们确实知道作为基督徒学生的优先次序和生活纪律，但我们却倾向于依靠自己，而不是相信和依靠上帝。我们是否真地相信“先求我（耶稣基督）的国和我的义，你的功课所需要的智慧和成绩都会加给你”？我们是否时常向上帝祷告求智慧，并坚信“那厚赐与众人也不斥责人的上帝，就赐给他”？他是否我们的学业的主，使我们聪明与智慧的赐予者？
How's our relationship with God? 'The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.' (Pro 9:10) Do we fear Him? Do we really know Him? (The root word of 'knowledge' is the same word used in Gen 4:1, which connotes intimate relationship.) Do we 'Trust in the Lord with all our heart and do not lean on our own understanding. In all our ways acknowledge Him, and He will make our paths straight.'? Things may not happen the way we wanted it to, even when we put Him first and put in effort to complete the study, but we do have a reason to rejoice in spite of that for 'we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.'
我们与神的关系如何？‘敬畏耶和华是智慧的开端，知道至圣者便是聪明。’我们是否敬畏神？我们是否真实的认识他？（‘知道’的原文带有亲密关系的含义。）我们是否“专心仰赖耶和华，不可依靠自己的聪明，在你一切所行的事上都要认定他，他必指引你的路”？即使我们实在的将上帝摆在第一且尽力完成学业，我们仍然可能不会得到我们所期待的结果。但就算如此，我们还是有喜乐的理由，因为‘上帝使万事都互相效力，叫爱神的人得益处，就是按他旨意被召的人。’
I must admit that this is far from perfect, as still a lot of details and practical advices are lacking, but I wish that this few basic principles will help us in our calling as a Christian students.
我必须说，这篇文章还是有许多不足的地方，得别是在一些细节和实际的建议上有所缺乏。但我盼望着几个基本原则可以帮助基督徒学生完成神对我们的呼召。
共勉之
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