If your young adult child has decided to attend a secular college, you're probably a bit worried about their faith being weakened, or even destroyed. I mean, statistics will scare you to death! But, Jesus is bigger than statistics. Could it possibly be that He wants to actually strengthen, test, or use their faith in ways you hadn't thought of?
Jumping In
Choosing a college was one of the most difficult decisions we faced with our daughter. As believers in Christ, we naturally wanted her to attend a Christian college, however, the exorbitant cost was a hindrance, as was the distance. Another consideration was the fact that, as a full grown adult now, the decision was hers to make - not ours. She eventually chose a cheaper, state college and decided to head into the venture as if it were a mission field.
I was worried! I fretted! I wanted to make sure she was "on guard" against everything the liberal colleges stand for and teach. We didn’t have peace that she had made the right decision until a few years had passed.
But God!
I cannot stress enough how rough those first few classes were for her. One, in particular, made some of the students extremely uncomfortable. The professor was constantly handing out what our daughter felt was border-line pornographic material, blasting conservatives, and didn't seem to care what anyone thought. We wanted her to quit. BUT, God used it all for His glory! Not only did she get a huge eye-opener to the ways of the world, but also a huge opportunity to either compromise her beliefs, or not. She did not. Instead, she questioned everything they taught her, in every class, throughout every year, "chewing on the meat while spitting out the bones", of which there were both, truth and error, mixed together. The entire experience greatly matured her faith in ways that a christian environment might not have.
Rewards
Since beginning college, she has completed many courses, been stretched out of her comfort zone, learned a whole lot, worked hard for those A's, and remained debt free. Although the experience has been difficult in many ways, it has also been rewarding and life changing. The college has not changed her faith one little bit, except to strengthen it. Neither has it changed her mind one little bit except to make it sharper and more discerning. Praise God!
Being Honest
To be fair and honest, I have to say that our daughter has come to truly enjoy and respect most of her professors. We can love, and learn from, people even if we don't agree with them. She'd be the first to say that she has gained some extremely valuable instruction that will help in life.
I also want to say that we absolutely appreciate and support Christian colleges! They are a huge blessing and quite possibly the route she would have taken had not finances, and distance, been a problem. This article is just making the point that if your child can't afford to go that route, or just doesn't wish to, God may have another plan.
Trust Him
If you’re struggling with college decisions - pray! Don’t fear! Maybe God wants to stretch and strengthen your precious child's faith by jumping right into the world you’ve so carefully protected them from. ❤️
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