Majoring in Christ

Our life is lived by faith. We do not live by what we see in front of us. (2 Corinthians 5:7)

Last night, someone on a TV commercial said to his infant child, "You ARE going to college when you grow up." I asked my six year-old if she wanted to go to college (as if she truly understands what college is), to which she said she did. When I asked what she wanted to be when she grows up, she shrugged at first and then said she wants to be a teacher. It made me wonder...what do I want to be when I grow up?

I've worked with literally hundreds of college-aged volunteers who faced the daunting challenge of trying to answer that question. Some had always known what they wanted to be, while others were facing graduation without a clue. Still others chose to follow in the path their parents had established for them, whether they liked it or not. I changed my major in college no less than five times. What I told many of these volunteers over the years is that if you have a specific dream that you're passionate about, work hard and go after it. But try to avoid putting all your eggs in one basket, even if it's something you think you'll want to do the rest of your life. I'm living proof that your interests change with time, you add skills with age, and you discover talents along the way that you never knew you had. In the midst of those discoveries, life often has a way of throwing us curveballs that force a change in plans.

Like most adults who've been in the working world for a while, I've discovered a handful of specific things about myself that I'm both good at and interested in. The same goes for my personal hobbies and interests. I have no doubt that my list of such things will continue to evolve. This natural flux in life used to feel like something to be feared, but in reality, it is something to embrace. Think how life would be if we were forced to live forever with a finite plan we created for ourselves at age 18, when our understanding of the world and all that's in it is so limited. It's a scary thought, isn't it?

Whatever age we are, we can continue to learn, to grow and to change who we are and what we do. It doesn't matter what our diploma or resume say, if we have those things at all. The key ingredient is a solid foundation in Christ. If we strive to live out our daily lives by walking in faith, our path will be made known to us. God will unearth the talents He gave us at just the right time, so we will blossom in His will. We are free to pursue our intellectual interests and the desires of our hearts, but true success will be realized when we allow God to be our advisor.

What do you want to be when you grow up? If you're like me and you still don't know, that's okay. If we declare our major in Christ, we can't go wrong. Our opportunities are endless.