Defining Yourself

Warm up: Daniel 1

Something happens when you arrive at college. You will never forget that moment when you walk into your new room, your parents leave, and you are alone. There is an explosion of emotion involving a mixture of nerves, adrenaline, panic, laughter, excitement and so much more. Undoubtedly, the words, “what the heck have I just gotten myself into?” will cross your mind. A sudden sense of freedom is unleashed when you realize you are on your own and get to be your own person. No one is forcing you to go to jail, your parent’s are not around to make you do homework, and most rules and laws can be tip toed around.

During college you can see people for who they really are. The “good guy” FCA leader in high school becomes the drunk, the moral girl who always did her studies becomes “popular” at fraternity houses, and the kid who always told his friends they were dumb for doing drugs becomes the biggest druggie of all. Yes, college has rules and regulations, but there is perhaps no easier time in life to find loopholes though those rules.

Your own beliefs and values will either prove to be true, or collapse right beneath your feet. College brings freedom, and freedom can lead to a downward spiral faster than you can imagine. If you wait too long to determine where you stand on particular issues, there will be trouble. If your reasons for not doing a certain action are simply because you have been told not to, you and your new friends will quickly find your reasoning to be lacking. If you desire to have an authentic relationship with God, then it is vital to have and know where you stand on spiritual issues when you arrive on move-in day.

When Daniel, a young Jewish prisoner, came to the courts of Babylon he was quickly faced with a temptation to eat food that was considered unclean by God. Unclean food may not be an issue for us today, but it was an important part of the law before Christ came. When the food was offered to Daniel and his friends, he rejected it immediately. There was no debate in his mind about whether or not he should take the food and he was firm in his position. The reason he was able to be quick and resolute in his decision was because the decision had been made long before the temptation was offered him. When we know what we believe to be right and wrong before an opportunity presents itself, we are much more likely to do the right thing. When we go into situations undecided about whether or not we will do the wrong thing, then nine times out of ten we probably will do the wrong thing.

It is so important to know your stance on moral issues because in college you will be presented with every temptation that is in the book. It is a lot harder to say no to drinking at a party when everyone else thinks you are a goober for not. It is much harder for guys to say no to a girl who is throwing herself on him in a locked dorm room if he does not have to worry about his parents walking in on him and her having sex. It is much easier for a girl to be “cute” and wear less than she should when her dad or brother are not making sure she is wearing a descent outfit. I’m saying this not to be preachy, but to warn you: when you get to college, there are no rules. None. If you do not have rules set for yourself, then you are going to mess up.

I’m going to make another quick and important note about Daniel. He did not have to make the decision to do the right thing alone because he had friends making it with him. It is a necessity for any Christian to have spiritual accountability that will encourage and push one towards God. I’m not saying you need to go to a school where you already have good Christian friends, but as soon as you get on campus start looking for people who are willing to hold you accountable. Technically, you can have a relationship with God without accountability, but encouragement and community makes life so much easier and better.

I suppose there are going to be some people who read this blog and become excited about all the stuff they will be able to get away with. I guess I could offer scripture or logical arguments, but maybe the best thing I can tell you is that I know many people who came into college ready to go crazy. They went nuts for a little while, found it to be extremely unsatisfying, and some returned to God regretting their decisions. So if you are thinking about “living life to the fullest,” I would challenge you to talk some older Christians who have been there and done that. There is a good chance it will sway your thinking.

College is an exciting time. You will have the chance to find yourself. Some students will become Teachers, some will become Philosophers, others will become Chemists, most will learn more about friendship and experience heartaches, many will leave their faith, and others will fall more madly in love with their Savior than ever thought possible. Yes, college is a chance to learn and change, but it does not mean we should forsake that which we know and believe to be true. Choose to live for God in your dorms, in your classrooms, and all over your campus. If you do, you may be surprised by how much joy you experience and how much you learn about who you truly are in Christ.