College Guide

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Four Questions that Clarify God’s Will for College

Nathan McConnell, Administrator, Bill Rice Bible College

Most Christian young people want to please the Lord with their lives no matter what they end up doing for a living. In light of that fact, one of the most challenging decisions a Christian young person makes is where he or she will go to college. Their most pressing concern is determining whether or not attending a particular college is “God’s will.”

Before we can determine God’s will about an issue, we need to first understand what God’s will is. The phrase “God’s will” is really another way of saying what God wants. Thankfully, God has let us know what He wants in the Bible. His will is revealed in the Bible by plain statements about His will, by commands, and by implications.

Sometimes a decision or behavior is plainly stated as God’s will. For example, 2 Peter 3:9 says that “God is not willing [does not want] for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance [i.e., to be saved].” Again, 1 Timothy 2:4 states that God “will have [wants] all men to be saved.” So, God’s will is for people to be saved. It is also God’s will for Christians to live holy lives: “This is the will of God [what God wants], even your sanctification [i.e., holy living]” (1 Thessalonians 4:3). Some decisions and behaviors are plainly stated as God’s will in the Bible.

God also communicates what He wants for us through commands. In Exodus 20 God says “Thou shalt not kill” (v. 13), “Thou shalt not steal” (v. 15), and “Thou shalt not bear false witness [i.e., lie]” (v. 16). Obviously, God does not want us to do these things: it is not His will for us to do them. Therefore, when we lie, steal, or kill, we can know that we are not in God’s will. God’s commands of what to do or not to do make His will plain.

God’s will is also implied by statements in the Bible. Implying is like hinting. For example, the Bible says for believers to not be “unequally yoked together with unbelievers” (2 Corinthians 6:14). In other words, believers should not enter into binding cooperation with unbelievers. Thought it is not directly stated, we conclude that it is not God’s will for a believer to marry an unbeliever since marriage is entering into binding cooperation. That application is implied by what is stated.
So, God’s will is simply what He wants that has been revealed to us in the Bible. Understanding what God’s will is and where to find it prepares us to determine God’s will for our particular situation. By answering four simple questions from the Bible, you can find clarity about which college(s) might be God’s will for you.

1. “Will this college’s courses lead me away from Bible truth?” 

Not all instruction is equal in quality, content, or outcome. Jesus told his disciples, “Take heed what ye hear” (Mark 4:24). He felt that what his disciples heard could be harmful. Proverbs 19:27 gives this command: “Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge.” Apparently, there is a kind of teaching that can actually lead us away from true knowledge, and God says, “Stop listening to it!” And 1 Corinthians 15:33 warns us that “evil communications corrupt good manners:” wrong teaching can influence us to sinful lives.

Unfortunately, most colleges would teach their students that the Bible is a man-made book of myths and should not be trusted. Evolution is taught as scientific fact, denying the six, literal days of Creation (Genesis 1). Basic morality and gender distinctions are also challenged both in the classroom and on the campus.

Are you prepared to face these kinds of challenges to your faith? First Peter 3:15 says to “be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you.” Putting ourselves under teaching that will lead us away from Bible truth is unwise, and it is not God’s will that we face those challenges unprepared.

2. “Will I have access to and regular involvement with a local church?”

According to recent studies, a high percentage of young people will stop attending church after high school graduation.(1) Contradicting that trend is the Bible’s instruction to “not [forsake] the assembling of yourselves together” (Hebrews 10:25). The local church is God’s idea, and He commands believers to not abandon assembling as a church. Therefore, it is God’s will for believers to gather regularly. Why is the local church so important?

The Bible implies that the local church will be the primary place of instruction for believers.(2) It is called “the pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15). First-century believers “continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine [i.e., teaching]” (Acts 2:42). Pastors are required to be “apt to teach” (1 Timothy 3:2). It is the regular instruction received from pastors, evangelists, and teachers that strengthens believers in their faith and Christian lives (Ephesians 4:11-16).

The local church is also a believer’s primary source of encouragement. The Bible says that believers are to speak to one another “in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs” (Ephesians 5:19) and to “teach and admonish one another” (Colossians 3:16). They are told to “provoke one another to love and to good works” (Hebrews 10:24). God’s will is for believers to encourage other believers in the context of assembling.

This does not mean that a church must be located on the campus of a college. However, if there is not a Bible-believing church in the area for you to attend or in which you can minister regularly, take it as a clear sign that God is not leading you to attend that college.

3. “Do my parents believe this college is a good choice?”

God gave you parents to teach you and to guide you in life (Ephesians 6:4). The Book of Proverbs repeatedly encourages the young person to remember the rules that mom and dad established (1:8; 3:1; 4:1, 20-22; 6:20-21). Beyond even the child-rearing stage, children are commanded to “honor” their parents (Exodus 20:12; Ephesians 6:2). Clearly, God wants you to listen to the advice and counsel of your parents and He gives two good reasons why you should.

The first reason we should listen to our parents is “that it may be well with thee” (Ephesians 6:3). When we submit to our parents’ direction, God promises that it will go “well.” Many young people think that listening to their parents will “ruin their lives.” But, to question the promise that things will go well is to question God.

The second reason why we should obey our parents’ instructions is that “it is well-pleasing unto the Lord” (Colossians 3:20). Though we stand in God’s favor as Christians, we benefit from that relationship when we obey. Even something as simple as heeding our parents’ direction pleases the Lord and benefits us.
Furthermore, the Bible says that “in the multitude of counsellors there is safety” (Proverbs 11:14). Listening to what trusted advisors think about your options provides a certain level of security. You are minimizing risk and multiplying wisdom when those more experienced than you contribute to your decision-making process.

4. “Am I consistently doing what I know is right?”

This may seem like an odd question to ask. How is doing what I know is right connected to clearly understanding God’s will for college? Well, the Bible repeatedly makes statements that imply our actions either determine or influence our understanding about the path we should take.

Take, for instance, Proverbs 4:18 which says that “the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.” This verse teaches that someone who is doing right (“the just”) will continue to receive understanding (“light”) until everything is as clear as the noonday (“the perfect [complete, mature] day”). Doing right, then, leads to a clear understanding.

Another verse in Proverbs says that “the thoughts of the righteous are right” (12:5). Again, a “righteous” person in the Old Testament is someone who does what is right (according to God’s Word). This verse teaches that the person who does what is right has “thoughts” [plans, intentions] that are right also. Doing right influences us to want the right things.

Finally, Psalm 37:4 says “Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” When pleasing the Lord and finding enjoyment in Him is the pattern of our lives, we can be confident that our desires line up with what He would want. Again, doing right leads to right desires.

So, do you know that you should pray? Are you praying? Do you know that you should take counsel from your parents? Are you doing that? Are there other decisions or behaviors that you know to do that you are doing as best you can? Doing right now sets you on the path to doing and thinking right later. If that is the pattern of your life, you can rest assured that you will know what to do and think as decisions come your way.

So where does God want you to go to college? Take the answers to these four questions and start to determine that. Examine the college’s teachings, investigate the area for a Bible-believing church, take counsel with your parents, and start doing everything you know to do right now. God’s will is at your feet!

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(1) https://answersingenesis.org/christianity/church/pew-research-why-young-people-leaving-christianity/, accessed May 14, 2018.
(2) This does not negate the contribution of Bible colleges and universities. However, no institution could be biblical that downplays the importance of the local church in the spiritual life of a believer.[/et_bloom_locked]