Thirsty No More

Last night was the first Axcess meeting for the College Life ministry of the fall 2006 semester. I briefly attended Spring semester of 2006, but this time I want to get more involved. Community groups are starting -- and get this -- 2nd year community groups (sophomore and up) are studying manhood and womanhood. (Obviously I'd be in an all-female accountability group studying womanhood.) I'm really excited about that.

Shea Sumlin (our College Life pastor) spoke of how college (and getting a degree) is not the ultimate goal, but merely a means to an end. It's funny, but Mom and I were discussing that same topic not long ago. When I was a senior in high school, my goal was to pursue a doctorate and acquire all of these degrees and titles. I thought I knew what I was doing, but after the first semester of college I dropped classes and changed my major. In fact, since my senior year of high school, I think I've changed my major four or five times. First it was medical school, then nursing school, then I discovered that medicine was not the route I was to take, so I dropped my nursing courses and took basics with an undecided major. After that, I wanted to major in English, then Photojournalism, and now I'm majoring in International Studies with a minor in Geography. Go figure.

I, like so many other college students, had a candy-coated vision of the future. I thought college would be this wonderful experience -- the noble pursuit of knowledge, but by the end of my first semester, I was sorely disillusioned. That's because my focus was wrong. Acquiring degrees and titles was my goal, and I quickly realized that I was grasping for the wind (Ecclesiastes 1:14).

Shea used a very fitting passage from John 4 to describe the vain pursuit of a college degree...

Jesus said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty forever. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." (John 4:13-14, ESV)

So college is a waste of time? No. Like Shea said (and I heartily agree with), college is merely a means to an end. If I were in college just for the heck of it, I would have already dropped out, but my college education (and ultimately my Bachelor's degree) is just a vehicle. When people ask me what I would to with my major, I tell them I could work for the military or the government (ambassador, CIA, FBI, etc.) -- and maybe I will -- but however God decides to use me is ultimately up to Him and unknown to me at this moment. I am right where He wants me at this time and I'm going to serve Him wherever I am -- be it in ministry, military, government, or whatever.

I don't know what the future holds, but no matter what God has planned for me I know I'll only be happy when I am complete in Him. All the degrees in the world, a successful career, a husband and kids... none of that will ultimately satisfied. I have found the only time I truly have joy is when I am serving God in ministry to others. Only God can complete me... but that's how He created you and me. We're created with a hole that only God can fill.

For in Him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in Him, Who is the head of all rule and authority. (Colossians 2:9-10, ESV)