Jesus Christ: The True Link Between Student, College and Career Success
Updated: Jan 1, 2021
Like the jailer in Acts 16:30, who asked Paul and Silas, “What must I do to be saved?”, is the same way that we as believers should be asking, “What must I do to pursue student success for God's glory?” It should go without saying that first and foremost, you need to have accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior. Without a personal relationship with Jesus, you cannot be led by the Spirit to hear what He is saying directly to you, neither can you enter the Kingdom of God. Secondly, reading the Bible and asking God to enlighten you about His principles will provide you with all the knowledge that you need. The buck doesn’t stop there, though—the next step is to then apply that information, and there’s a cost to do it!
So, you may be wondering, how does all of that connect to student success? The answer is simple. In Matthew 6:33, Jesus admonishes us to seek the Kingdom of Heaven first, and then all ‘these’ things will be added unto us. In this case, ‘these’ things could be that goal to get all A's in school, to pass a state exam, or of attending college, and not just any college, but the college that God has prepared for you. Or, if college is not in your purview, you may be wanting to consider jumping right into your career to achieve success in life. No matter which path you decide to pursue, the goal is to keep God first while you are in school, and of course, later in life, too! Keep in mind that your ultimate desire should be to please God and to do what He’s purposed you to do!
The way that life is set up, before you can even get to college or start your career, you have to be a student in school. And because of this, you have an opportune time, right now, to develop and strengthen your relationship with God. Here's how you can do it. As a student, you are living a mirror of the real-world, without the bills and additional responsibility. And, you may even have a job right now, and if you are blessed to have work, your full-time role is still being a student. So, while you're a student in school, you must take advantage of this time to honor God in everything that you do. This may look different from student to student, so don't try to copy your peers in school. If anything, they should want to follow you based on your relationship with Christ!
As you begin to allow the Holy Spirit to lead you into all truth and understanding, you will have more knowledge about what it's going to take for you to pursue student success for His glory. Does this mean that you are going to be perfect? No, but as you continue to focus on growing in your relationship with God as a student, you will have a smoother transition into college or your career because you will have been trusting God all along.
The biggest takeaway that I want you to get from this piece is that your life as a student is not a means to an end, so find intentional ways to glorify God in your day-to-day decisions in school. And in due time, He will reveal your purpose to you, which you should then use to inform your major, the college that you attend and your future career. I encourage you to use the time you have a student wisely to give your best effort, always. Keep studying hard in school and pressing towards the mark, which is Christ! He will honor your commitment to Him and you will bring Him glory through it all. Blessings on you as you pursue success for God's glory!
Your Favorite Student Success Expert, Deandra Smith
