Looking forward in your life to the end of college, graduation can seem like one big nightmare. You can see friends and family congratulating you, but also loans and careers pointing daggers at you.
For many of us not going on to graduate school, graduation from this university is the end of the road. No more crazy dorm life, staying up until 4 a.m. and setting new records for procrastination. Life has landed and there’s no place left to hide.
It can be intimidating to face important decisions. What career will I pursue? Will I move back home or get my own place? Will I get married? The most immediate question, not to be overlooked, is, where will I begin?
Unfortunately many of us do not have all the answers to these questions, and because they’re relatively big life decisions, it’s only natural to worry. As much as worrying is a part of being human, we as Christians are called to different heights.
Matthew 6:25-26 reads, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?”
Throughout the Bible we can find clear assurances to not fear tomorrow but to leave things up to God and to trust in Him for all things.
The human tendency to doubt can best be seen in the story of Jesus walking on water. As Peter left his sinking boat to meet Him, Jesus assured Peter that he would not drown if only he trusted. As soon as Peter started to doubt he began to sink and Jesus reached out to rescue him. “You of little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt?”
All the choices we are faced with as we leave college are real and tangible. This is real life. You are no longer playing the board game where one ditzy decision can just be laughed at and forgotten about after you lose the game. And that in itself can be scary, knowing that each decision holds the possibility of a lifetime of regret.
Good advice for dealing with our futures would be to start planning now. Take as many internships as you can. It’s recommended that students take anywhere from three to five internships while in college. Also, become friends with the people in Career Services. They really do know what they are doing.
And of course, the best advice you can get regarding your future is to trust in the Lord with all your strength. Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”
Inquiring Minds is the collective opinion of the editorial staff and not necessarily representative of the entire staff. It is written by the managing editor and the editor-in-chief.