I am sure that we all have participated in an exam before. Depending on your grade or type of subject, you either participated in an oral exam, essay exam, multiple choice exam, case studies, assignment, open book exam, thesis etc. In most instances, when I ask people which format of examination is the easiest, a majority usually shout back and say “Open Book Exam.” An open book exam is really a type of test that is designed to test your problem solving skills. The questions on an open book exam can be much tougher than questions on a closed book exam, as they require you to think about and evaluate information as opposed to remembering studied information. I personally belive that open book exams are more challenging than other types of exams. My father once said to me “Life is like an open book exam. Answers to all your problems/challenges are in your book. All you have to do is be patient while searching for the correct answers to your challenges. There is no problem or challenge that your book has no answer to....believe that. Bonnke”. I never really took his advise seriously until I read Psalm 37:4 which read “Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart” and Philippians 4:19 (from the Message translation) “You can be sure that God will take care of everything you need, his generosity exceeding even yours in the glory that pours from Jesus. Our God and Father abounds in glory that just pours out into eternity”. It was after reading the two scriptures did I understand exactly what my father meant. If life is similar to an open book exam, and we as a society believe that an open book exam is the easiest way to pass, then why are we failing in life? Why don’t we reach our full potential, why don’t we maximise our talents, why don’t we progress as a society, why don’t we realise our purpose and be productive when it comes to our talents. In short, why are we still failing….Why are we failing ourselves? Today, we are going to study 4 methods that are practiced by scholars when they are preparing for an open book exam. These simple steps will assist you when writing your own open book exam on the most important subject of them all, YOUR LIFE. Step 1 – Preparation If you do not study for an open book exam, you will NOT pass!! There exist a perception that open exams do not require intensive studying. This perception is fuelled by the fact that, answers to your questions are available at your disposal. People tend to look at life the same way as an open book exam, especially when it comes to step 1 – Preparation. Most people, who fail in life, fail due to lack of focus or planning. They assume that everything that they need will always be available at their disposal, so why must they prepare themselves for future challenges. I would like to remind you of the story of the five virgins in Matthew 25:1-20, which reads “Gods kingdom is like ten young virgins who took oil lamps and went out to greet the bridegroom. Five were silly and five were smart. The silly virgins took lamps, but no extra oil. The smart virgins took jars of oil to feed their lamps. The bridegroom didnt show up when they expected him, and they all fell asleep. In the middle of the night someone yelled out, Hes here! The bridegrooms here! Go out and greet him! The ten virgins got up and got their lamps ready. The silly virgins said to the smart ones, Our lamps are going out; lend us some of your oil. They answered, There might not be enough to go around; go buy your own. They did, but while they were out buying oil, the bridegroom arrived. When everyone who was there to greet him had gone into the wedding feast, the door was locked”. That is definitely one sad story. How many people wait for their bridegroom, it can be a new car, a promotion at work, a long and loving relationship, a refreshed life. But when the bridegroom does not show up then they expect him to come. And due to the fact that they did not prepare – their faith – enough, they are unable to wait until the Lord decides to bless them with their desired valuables. Step 2 – Do not use your book/notes for every question Using your book or notes for every question is a serious waste of your time. By doing so, you will spend too much time searching for information, when you should be writing. Remember, the reason teachers allow you to bring your books or notes to the exam room is not for you to copy from your notes, but rather to refer from your notes. Those who have experience when it comes to open book exam will advise you to answer the easy questions first from the top of your head first, then go back and answer the questions where you need to refer to your text book. Few weeks ago we talked about flirting with the devil, meaning that when the Devil asks you questions regarding what the Lord has promised you, you must never entertain him. There are certain scriptures that you have to remember or quote when you are writing your (life) exams. In order not to waste time, memorize them and dish them out anytime the devil interferes in your life. I have memorised the following scriptures All things are possible (Luke 18:27) His grace is sufficient (II Cor. 12:19) He will direct my steps (Prov. 20:24) He will supply all my needs (Philippians 4:19) He has not given me the spirit of fear (II Timothy 1:7) He has given me wisdom (I cor. 1:30) He will never leave or forsake me (Hebrews 13:5) When the devil attacks me, I do not have to refer to my notes – my bible – I just quote the verses that I have memorised. Step 3 – Watch your time closely Watch your time closely as you go thorugh your question paper. The problem with an open book exam is that you have so much information at your disposal that you could write forever. In life you must learn to balance the time to search for the answers to your problems and the time to implement your plans. In Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 we read that “To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven: A time to be born, And a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted; A time to kill, And a time to heal; A time to break down, And a time to build up; A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, And a time to gather stones; A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing; A time to gain, And a time to lose; A time to keep, And a time to throw away; A time to tear, And a time to sew; A time to keep silence, And a time to speak; A time to love, And a time to hate; A time of war, And a time of peace”. There are too many people who spend their entire life searching for answers in their books or notes. They spend their entire lifespan waiting for the right partner, instead of acting and behaving like the right partner. Spend their entire lifespan waiting for someone to bless them, instead of them blessing those who are less fortunate. Spend their lifespan waiting for the heavens to open up, instead of them opening the heavens for other people. Watch your time closely, so that you do not spend your entire life praying, and not enough time living out your prayer. Step 4: Pay attention to content more than the style Think about this: people in the working world use reference books all the time to answer questions or solve problems. They have manuals that they use constantly, where they can look up rules, information, or regulations that they havent committed to memory. Thats what youre doing in an open-book exam! Ideally, you go into an exam with knowledge that youve gathered by reading the text and listening to the lectures. The open-book exam is just a tool to help you find facts or added information to support your answers. The same principle applies to you and I. We have to pay attention to the depth of our belief or what we call faith, rather than just using faith as tool to acquire things from the heavens. Hebrew 11:1-3 reads thus “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.” One thing that I must clarify is that you cannot live without faith. Faith is what makes you believe that the sun will rise tomorrow; faith is what gives you the confidence to sit on a chair without first checking if it’s strong enough to support your weight. The big question is, do you believe in God’s definition of faith or not? If not, then know that you are practicing and living the opposite of what Hebrew 11:1-3 says. It means that in your world, Faith is the substance of things not hoped for, the evidence of things seen. Your faith will attract things that you do not hope for, divorce, bankruptcy, fear, loneliness, unemployment and your evidence will be when those things come into reality. In conclusion, if your faith is not supported by actions, which then yields results? Then you are focused on the style rather than the content. Amen.
Posted on: Wed, 10 Sep 2014 08:04:25 +0000