I am an absolute nervous wreck. The people who know me think I’m ready for a big change, but deep down I’m terrified of the uncertainty.
I’ve been a child of faith for 18 years, but do I have an adult faith now?
Will I make friends? Was this the right choice?
And why am I here? I mean, I know I’m here to get a degree to teach special education. But is there more for me here? Isn’t going to college just about preparing for your future? Isn’t it just a means to an end?
Those were my thoughts when I stepped into my freshman year at California State University–Northridge (CSUN). I didn’t know it at the time, but God had plans for me that were better than I could have ever imagined.
God’s Plans and Your Plans
Jeremiah 29:11 is one of the quintessential verses quoted to college students. Growing up in a Christian home, I can’t tell you how many gifts I received that had that verse on it when I left for Cal State Northridge.
The words of the verse truly are beautiful, and do reveal the character of God. They were directed at the Israelites, who had been violently taken from their promised land by King Nebuchadnezzar and were living under Babylonian rule. Probably no other words could have sounded sweeter to the weary people of God.
But the news that came before 29:11 would have been shocking to the Israelites. There were many false prophets at the time who were telling the Israelites what they wanted to hear: that they would soon leave Babylon and be returned to their promised land. Because of this, the Israelites had their bags packed and their eyes on Jerusalem. Any day now, Lord. Any day.
The plans the Lord had for them, however, weren’t the plans they had for themselves.
“You will be here for 70 years,” God told them. “Build houses, plant gardens, have kids and grandkids, seek the welfare of Babylon and pray to the Lord on its behalf.” In other words, the Lord told the adult Israelites that they would spend the rest of their lives in Babylon—and that they should embrace it as home.
Why Am I Here?
You may not know why you’re ending up at the college you’ll be attending. It may have been the close choice or the cost-effective choice. Or you may have chosen it because it’s far away from home (in which case your parents, afraid of all the student loans you’ll accrue, are probably begging you to finish in four years).
As far as I could tell at the time, I wound up at CSUN because it had great teaching and jazz programs. But then I ended up majoring in psychology. Now, however, half a dozen years after my rollercoaster ride that was freshman year, I know why I was at CSUN. God had a plan for me there, even though I couldn’t see it then.
Even if you’re not sure why you’re at your particular college, know that God has sent you to your campus for a reason.
How to Live Like You Are Sent
1. Build houses and plant gardens. It’s too easy to coast through your college years with the end foremost in your mind. Don’t. Instead, establish your roots in the framework of your university. Get to know the administrators, faculty, and staff. Many of them sit in their office alone!
And go meet other new students. They are just as afraid as you are, so seek out friendships with both Christians and not-yet Christians. Find yourself a strong community of faith on campus—a group who has a heart to see Christians like you discipled and not-yet Christians find fresh faith.
2. Have kids and grandkids. I have to state the obvious here: the point isn’t literal! Rather, it’s an exhortation to invest in the people around you.
I am always asking students, “What kind of legacy do you want to leave on your campus?” As you step into a strong faith community at your new college, ask for someone to invest in you. During your freshman year you can be the beneficiary of a legacy passed down to you, and as you go on to invest in others, you will eventually continue the multigenerational legacy that will stretch back behind you.
Jesus invested in 12, but gave the most to Peter. Paul left all he had in Timothy. My senior year, I gave all I had to a freshman named Darin. Today, Darin has planted a new ministry to international students at CSUN. Start thinking now about the legacy you want to leave at your college, and ask God for the privilege of being part of a lasting legacy.
3. Seek the welfare of the land. Live in the present, not the future. Instead of spending all of your time planning for your life after college, engage with your community to seek how and where God intends to use you and grow you in your years on campus. Even if you only intend to be at a community college for two years, God has plans for your time there.
What does this look like? Become aware of the issues on your campus. Are there racial tensions? Work to see reconciliation. Is there controversy surrounding the leadership or the budget? Seek justice and truth.
And pray for your campus and its leaders. Your university is your new home and God is a God of peace. As his agent on campus, pray that the university sees renewal and revival in everything! If the university thrives, you thrive.
God sent me to radically serve my campus. What about you? Do you think you are sent to your campus? How will you establish your roots? And what legacy do you want to leave?
Ben Vail is a Campus Staff Member for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship at California State University–Fullerton and is entering his third year on staff. He lives in Fullerton with his wife, Olivia, whom he met his freshman year through InterVarsity.
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