Reasonable Service

Home
About Me
Contact
Journals
Music
Pictures

College

Originally written 06/21/2001; edited 05/08/2003

On Going to College, Part 1: Seeking God’s Will for Your Life

Many people have observed the consequences of college attendance…or at least what appear to be consequences. There are those who have questioned the profitability of college attendance. Or any form of post secondary education. Most importantly, people ask whether going to a secular college is glorifying to the Lord. These are important questions to ask, and they all have answers, though those answers are not always very clear.

First of all, if college causes students to lose their faith, then why do some students graduate still clearly on fire for the Lord? Was their faith any stronger than that of the students who left college with very different philosophies than when they began? Is it a mater of being skilled at apologetics? If so, then why would intellectually gifted Christians adopt wrong philosophies?

A key question in the midst of this, related to the original subject, yet unique in itself, is whether or not people “wash out” because they go to college, or simply while they are in college. This, also, is important to consider. In fact, the answer affects whether it is acceptable for a Christian to attend college, and how to tell in each person’s case. I think it will be best to first evaluate whether attending college causes people to lose their faith.

Specific Considerations and Dealing with Excuses

Clearly, not every person can or should attend college—secular or Christian. However, here are some specific considerations to clarify issues for those who are still not sure. First, what has God particularly burdened you to do with your life? Make this calling your goal, and prepare for it effectively. Secondly, will this type of preparation prepare you to support yourself vocationally? This is from a more practical standpoint.

The first question is one with which many people are struggling. I highly recommend answering this before trying to tell people what you plan to study in school! Do you have a basic sense of God’s plan for your life? Most people do have some idea of what God intends for them, yet they are hesitant to accept it, either because they do not think it is important enough, or because they think themselves disqualified to perform such a service. Moses did not feel as if he was properly equipped to lead the nation of Israel out of Egypt. This, however, was clearly an example of not trusting God to work through his weakness. We need to remember that God delights in using weak things for His glory.

I Corinthians 1:26-29, “For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence."

God has a purpose in using the least qualified: He gets the glory. So, in a way, any deficiency on our part is only a greater qualification for the ministry to which God calls us. If we reject the assignments God ahs given us because we are not humble, that is also a problem. When Jesus’ disciples were arguing about which of them was the greatest, Jesus gave them one of the most paradoxical statements ever heard. He said, “If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all” (Mark 9:35). Greatness comes by serving.

II Corinthians 12:7-10, “And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong."

We only achieve greatness through serving; we are only strong when we are weak. Who designed life this way, and why? The Lord created us that we might honor and glorify Him (second in importance, perhaps, to having fellowship with Him). Isaiah 43:7, “Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.” We only fulfill His purpose for our lives by solely relying on Him for His strength and grace through any ministry He gives us. It is not our work, but His work through us. It is not our strength, but His strength manifested in our lives. He is the Giver of all things.

Do we have any excuses now? If God tells us to do something, He will provide everything we need to do it. We can trust Him to fulfill His promise as we obey Proverbs 3:6, “In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” If we are ready to serve by humbling ourselves, and if we are willing to trust God for the strength to do things, He is going to direct us—He will show us His will. Our response must be obedience.

Discerning God’s Call

Pray, fast, read the Word, and spend time with spiritually needy people (ministry time, that is). Consult with wise counselors (parents and pastors fit this description for many of us). Look for the needs around you that you can meet (remember, in God’s strength). Be faithful in the small things that the Lord has given you to do. If you are serving an older lady at church by doing housework or shopping for her, do resume these services even after you have been absent for some time. Be faithful! God commends a faithful servant in Matthew 25:21, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou in to the joy of thy lord.”

Perhaps you think that none of it matters, that you are not accomplishing anything, or that you will never amount to much. I know I have struggled with these thoughts! Yet it is one of Satan’s chief goals to make sure we have these doubts. Do you realize how much of a threat you are to his kingdom just as you walk faithfully with the Lord? The main people who threaten the devil are those who are praying, because praying is life-changing—for you and for others. Even if you are not certain of the specifics God might call you to fulfill ministry-wise, you can always fulfill the basic callings of Scripture.

Faithfully Waiting

Prayer is mentioned in I Timothy 2:1-4, “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” We see another facet of our potential ministry in the clear instruction of James 1:27, “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.” While you are “waiting” for God to show you a specific ministry, you will be very busy 1) PRAYING for all men, especially government leaders, 2) SERVING the fatherless and widows, and 3) MAINTAINING a clear SEPARATION from the world.

The Right Response

As time passes, God will certainly reveal exactly what He has in mind. Though the Lord may use different means in our lives, we can be sure that He will lead. If we are walking in consistent obedience to His will, following will be much more automatic. However, if we have gotten used to going our own way, we may be tempted to find many excuses for avoiding obedience to the Lord. Jonah did not like God’s call (that was obvious from start to finish of the book of Jonah), and he originally proceeded in the opposite direction. God took Jonah where he was supposed to be, but it is better for us to be consciously, humbly obeying God’s commands in each of our lives. Fleeing is not obedience. Whether the Lord leads us to marriage (oh, the terror of giving up the single life!), mission work (with the possible discomforts in many foreign fields), or specific local ministry (perhaps menial tasks that might be very humbling to some people who would consider themselves “above” such things), we must carefully—and cheerfully—submit to God’s leading.

Another temptation we face when we finally see what God wants us to do is trying to see the whole picture, including every step of our future. Yes, wisdom involves looking at things the way God does (as much as we can through meditating on His Word), but it does not mean that we are omniscient. Sometimes the Lord will only show us the step we need to take right now. Although we may very much want to map out each step of our future, God has a plan that He will only clearly reveal a little at a time. You can be sure the He sees the bigger picture and that He will clearly direct you as you obey. Of course, there will be times that people ask questions, and our only honest answer is, “However God wills.” I have often wondered if that is an acceptable answer, especially considering Proverbs 29:18, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” You are different, though! You have a vision: God’s glory. It occurs to me that, while it may appear that we are not ambitious or that we have no direction in life, a spirit of obedience (if it truly exists in our hearts) will emanate from our very beings as we answer questions. If God so desires, people will see that it is humble submission to the Lord that motivates such a response. It is true that some people will not understand, but would it glorify God any more if we gave them an answer that was acceptable in a worldly sense?

I urge you to use caution in planning future preparation for and fulfillment of ministry goals. It is so easy to follow our own logic. Never forget that God, the wise Creator of all things, is infinitely greater than you, as well as all-knowing. He can and will direct, and we must be careful to follow His direction each step of the way. We will not know all the steps when He first gives us the vision. Only God sees the bigger picture. We must not allow ourselves to rely on human reasoning.

Always, our first response to the questions in our own hearts must be prayer. Is it ever Biblical to wait to pray? No! It is always appropriate to pray. As we often sing, we should take “everything to God in prayer.” As we pray, we are also submitting ourselves to the Lord, carefully aligning our wills to His, learning to delight ourselves in the Lord (Psalm 37:4).

Often, it is so tempting to move ahead of the Lord. This also is counterproductive to God’s purposes. A wise person recognizes that time is just as important an element in our obedience as the specific plan God has for our lives. Moses tried to jump ahead of God (not to mention fulfilling things in his own strength), and he ended up fleeing the very country where God intended him to work. God used that situation for His glory as He gave Moses years of preparation and a wife, yet Moses’ hasty solutions to deeper problems are not an example we would like to follow.

Preparation for Ministry

Here is my favorite question: What is your default mode? Do you go to school or try to find other ways to prepare yourself? This is not really about home schooling, but it is an interesting consideration. Do you think that God can only work through accredited programs, or do you think it is possible that He has an entirely different plan for you? The case I always want to build is that going to college is something we should decide TO do, not decide AGAINST doing. The question: What would we do if we did not “make a decision”?

Be careful that you do not fall in to the world’s way of thinking that it takes “education” to ensure success. God has individual training programs for His servants. Perhaps it will be wilderness training—like it was for Moses and the children of Israel. Or maybe it will be like Timothy’s apprenticeship to Paul. You must do as God leads, regardless of what is popular or logical. The Lord knows best. You MUST trust Him!

[And I realize that I never really addressed the issue of college attendance. I am planning to do that soon, especially as I have had greater opportunities lately to investigate this topic thoroughly.]

Pamela B.