By Bryn Beyer
Chaos was all around me on a sunny, August day as flurries of people carried boxes into Beckett Hall. I was moving in, ready for my freshman year of college. Though I had declared Christian Ministry as my major, I had little to no idea what that would look like after college. I felt fairly confident that ministry was the right choice, but, before coming to college, I had never heard someone talk about ministry as a “call.” I knew I loved Jesus and that I was passionate for His name, but I did not know much else.
Maybe you already know that God has “called” you to ministry and you know what you want to do after college… or maybe you’re like me and you just don’t know what that looks like yet. To the high school student who does not know what ministry looks like after college, this is for you.
In Judges chapter 6, we meet Gideon. While the angel of God greeted Gideon as a mighty hero, his actions of obedience were shrouded in fear and timidity for most of his journey. God greeted Gideon not as who he already was, but as the man he was becoming.
As we continue with the account of Gideon’s life in Judges 6-8, we see his obedience grow as God feeds Gideon’s mission to him piece by piece. In the angel’s greeting, Gideon got a taste of who he would become, not a full picture of what he would do. God used Gideon to bring glory to His name and to rescue Israel from the oppression of Midian, but Gideon’s walk required step by step obedience.
Like Gideon, you may be uncertain about what your future holds. The good news is that God does not just meet you where you are now, He already sees the person you are becoming. You don’t have to see the full picture to obediently follow God into His next for you. Obedience to God is more important than having it all together now.
College is a beautiful place to discover, explore, and clarify God’s call on your life and how He has uniquely gifted and equipped you for kingdom impact. As you learn, listen, and grow, professors and peers come alongside you as a community who loves you, loves the Lord, and wants His best for you.
Obedience often requires some kind of risk, but hearing and obeying God is always worth it. Simple obedience to the nudges of God leads to greater capacity to hear His voice and obey Him in the bigger things later.
As I think back to that girl in the flurry of people on a sunny August day, I know she wasn’t ready for the master plan. Through my college career, God used people and experiences to shape His call on my life. With each step of obedience came greater responsibility and recognition of the areas He had gifted me in and was calling me to.
I wouldn’t trade the uncertainty of my transition to college for anything. I found my place in ministry, but I’m sure God will continue to grow me into new places and spaces as I continue to follow His lead. It is okay to be uncertain--to feel like you are taking a risk--because faithfulness ultimately leads to peace. As you are obedient to what God is saying now, He will show you your place in ministry.
