College Bound?

Part three...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

College for Girls - the eighth deadly sin? (part one)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

It's a fact of life that when ways of doing things differently are brought up, people can easily become defensive. We don't like to be challenged. We don't like other people to think that we are doing things wrong, or that there may be a better way of doing something. Obviously not everyone is going to agree with me, and that's okay. I may say a lot of things on this blog that you don't agree with, but please know that it all comes from a sincere heart, that I have given a lot of study and prayer to these subjects, and that I am trying my best to do what I believe the Lord wants. This is not to say that I think everyone must do things my way, I simply want to express my opinions on the topic and hopefully everyone reading will be encouraged to study it out for themselves.

When I tell people that I don't go to college, and have no plans to do so in the future, I often receive a blank look accompanied by the blunt question, “Why?” It's hard to answer that inquiry sometimes, because there are so many reasons for my choice. It's difficult to condense my answer into a few short sentences and refrain from launching into an all out lecture on the subject. Occasionally, a simple answer of, “I feel home is where I can best serve the Lord,” will suffice, but more often than not, people are genuinely curious about my decision and want to know more. The biggest problem I face is how to explain myself fully without giving offense (or boring my listeners). But here's my best shot.

I always try to begin with this disclaimer. I do not believe that it is a sin for girls to go to college. In fact, I believe that some girls truly are called to enter that environment. However, I also believe that a huge number of girls are in college not because it is something God has called them to do, but because it is something the culture has called them to do. Christians today have gotten into the dangerous habit of accepting what the world tells them is necessary instead of evaluating every decision they make based on God's priorities. The sin would not be in attending college, but in ignoring God's will for your life – so going to college could become a sin if you were doing it in violation of your conscience.

The Bible talks a lot about God's design for women. From Genesis 1-2, to the Proverbs 31 woman, to passages like 1 Peter 3 and Titus 2, God's Word is clear about a woman's role. God created woman to be a help-meet to man. We are equal in God's sight, but our roles are different. The man was created to lead and protect, and the woman was created to follow and be protected. God created women to give birth to and care for children, raising them up in a godly environment and keeping watch over their homes. Women have the great privilege of giving their lives in service to God by spending their lives serving their families.

The question is, does getting a degree run alongside these principles? For the majority of people, the answer is no. Women do not usually get a degree in order to better serve the families God has given them. Feminism has told women that they should pursue whatever their passions are, and that they should make as much money doing it as possible. The world has indoctrinated us to believe that women should not have to be 'tied down' to a family or home life, that they should be encouraged to go after any selfish dream they desire. Naturally, in many cases, this agenda requires getting a degree.

My ultimate goal is to please God. From Scripture I read that the things which please God include evangelism, hospitality, caring for orphans and widows, serving my family, being a good steward of money, being peaceful, content, pure in heart, loving, respectful of authority, encouraging people, admonishing others toward good works, giving glory to God, and sacrificing my desires in exchange for God's plans, (among many other things). Interestingly enough, none of the commandments that I read in the Bible require a degree. In fact, spending four years in college could actually keep me from doing these things and cause me to lose sight of my goal.

In the next post I will present you with some of the ways that college hinders, and has the potential to completely destroy, a young lady's walk with God.