I recently had the privilege of speaking to a room of college freshmen and it was a great experience. They were attentive, respectful, and gracious. I left that gathering thinking that I am grateful to live in the community that calls UGA home. That proximity allows us to enjoy energy and enthusiasm and optimism. (Don’t complain to me about the traffic and the noise and the things that bother you when our area’s population expands significantly every fall – I prefer to focus on the things I enjoy!) I shared with these young women that I recall being in the same spot they were. And since we met in the Tate Center ballroom, I could mean that literally! Even though it was a long long time ago (my husband quips that dinosaurs were roaming Milledge), I can still recall some of the things I felt when I began matriculating at UGA. I was certainly naïve and probably unrealistically optimistic but I also remember feeling nervous and uncertain. Today it might be labeled “imposter syndrome”- I was coming from a very small pond and knew that the success I had enjoyed was not a guarantee that the future would hold the same. But I had loved the Dawgs since I was 5 and I wanted to not just be here but also to belong and thrive and mature into adulthood. So I determined to give it a try! As I reflected on that long ago fall quarter, I mused “what do I wish my 18 year old self had known?” You can imagine that a lot came to mind – things such as drop/add tips, how to survive group projects, and make exercise a priority early (the freshmen 15 are for real!). But I figured they will figure these things out on their own and I wanted to convey some more substantial truths that I’d have loved to have known earlier than I did.
Here is the gist of what I shared: 1. God is trustworthy. If you’re feeling anxious today, I want you to know that you can trust Him. You can have confidence and find security in His plans for your life. Why do we know you can trust Him? BECAUSE HE CARES FOR YOU. I Peter 5:7 says “casting all your care on Him because He cares for you.” HE CARES! He cares ABOUT YOU. Know that He cares about your dreams, your worries, your hopes and fears and insecurities. HE CARES. You matter to the King of the universe. Not only does He care ABOUT you, He also TAKES CARE OF YOU. He cares FOR YOU! He is all wise, all powerful, and all knowing. And He is always working for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. His care is the most powerful force in the world. You can trust Him also because He is GOOD! His plans for you are GOOD,in fact, THE BEST. You can trust Him to show you what to do and you can trust Him when things don’t go well. Psalm 84:11,12 says “The Lord God is a SUN and a SHIELD. He gives grace and glory. No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man who trusts in YOU!” The way to be blessed – to be happy – is to trust Him. To trust that He is a SUN – giving light (guidance), power, warmth (comfort). He gives us life and direction and good gifts. But sometimes we experience that He is a shield. We can trust that, too. Sometimes we who do NOT have all wisdom and knowledge desire things that are NOT best for us. We might think something is good, it might even be good for someone else but we can trust that, if God withholds it from us, we can trust that HIS SHIELD is protecting us from what we cannot know. For those who belong to Him, He is always at work, releasing the goodness He has stored up for His own.
2.His Word is powerful. How is it powerful? Powerful to GUIDE – When we don’t know what to do, we can turn to His Word and the principles there guide us. Psalm 119:105 says “Your Word is a lamp to my feet, a light to my path”. Through my years, as I have faced decisions about jobs, choosing a mate, going through painful times, I have found guidance from His Word that led me to know what to do. Times I have strayed from His Word have eventually led to disappointment and regret. God’s word is powerful – powerful to GUIDE.
Powerful to TRANSFORM – God’s Word changes us! Romans 12 and I Thessalonians 2 tells us that we become transformed by renewing our mind with His Word and when we get His Word in us, it literally goes to work to change us. God’s Word does the work and your job is to get it in you. I suggested to these new college students that they begin immediately to get God’s Word in them by reading one chapter a day from the book of Proverbs. Pretty convenient that this particular book of wisdom has 31 chapters!
3. “All this” isn’t what is important. The other thing I would want my self and yourself to know is what is REALLY IMPORTANT. Right now a lot of things are pressing in, clamoring for priority. For the college kids it’s classes, football games, Greek life and who to take to the party. For those of us out of college, things like mortgages, kids and health vie for our attention. But, as I shared with those fresh faces that morning in Tate, while those ARE significant things, I have learned with much delight that the words of the wisest man who ever lived ring true. This man had everything the world can offer – wealth, fame, success, relationships and even great wisdom – here is what he, King Solomon, had to say: ECCLESIASTES 12:13,14 – “The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.” If we fail to consider the end of all things, we will fail to live a worthwhile life. And, at the risk of sounding really old or morbid, you are not too young to thing about the end of life. Because we don’t know when it will be. So, to my 18 year old self, live in light of what really is important – live with the end in mind.