If you won the lottery today, would you still go to college?
What does your answer reveal about WHY you are going to college? Does this poster represent your justification for higher education?
Pat Answers
Each new college year, I ask a question to eager freshmen, “Why are you here at college?” With facial expressions that communicate, “duh!”, the typical answers students give are: “To get a career to make money;” “To find out what I want to do in life;” “To get a career to make money;” “To find a date;” “To get a career to make money;” “It’s just the next step in life, I suppose;” “To get a career to make money.”
It’s Not About a Career (Or a Date)
I ask again, “Why are you here?” Why are you placed here on this earth? Your purpose here on this earth is the exact same purpose you have at college. Your purpose at college is to be the visible representation of the invisible God who created you (Gen 1:26, 1 Peter 2:9). God established your purpose from the beginning of creation. We ultimately know that Christ fulfilled that purpose precisely (Col 1:15; Heb 1:3), but we are called to follow that image and purpose as well (Rom 8:28-29). Your purpose at college is to represent your Creator and Redeemer God to campus and the world.
Live Your Purpose Out Through College
As the next “stage” of life after high school, college affords a brand new setting to live out your purpose and a brand new means to focus your purpose. God gives His people manifold skills and abilities to refine, develop, and employ to represent Him well. God desires for His people to explore and sharpen their academic, social, management, art, and music skills. These skills are to be enhanced so that you may represent your God well.
As you sharpen your skills, you become fruitful in reigning over the works of God’s hand. You become a producer who is able to give to meet needs and bring God’s redemption and order to a chaotic, sin cursed world.
So college student, today how are you honoring God in the way you are developing your God-given skills? Also, today how are other students on campus being drawn to their Creator through you, His representative? Do they see a God of holiness, excellence, compassion, mercy, grace, and love when they look at you (1 Pet 2:12)? This is your justification for higher education.
