Starting Now: College Is Hard. This Can Help.Sample

Service

How many times have you sat in class and thought, “Is it really important for me to learn about atoms when I want to be an accountant?” Or maybe you’re wondering about college (even life) in general: What is college good for? Is the point really just to get a degree in order to get a job that you might not even want to do forever? Isn’t there more to life than a job and a good paycheck? 

Sure. It’s called purpose. 

If “purpose” sounds heavy because right now you just want to find friends, find a date, or pass Lit class, that’s understandable. But what if your purpose and happiness are connected? If finding one leads to finding the other? And losing one means missing out on the other? 

In Ephesians, Paul wrote that you are God’s handiwork, His masterpiece, created to do His good work. Your personality, quirks, talents, even your weaknesses all come together to form a unique person with a unique purpose. He made you specifically and on purpose to do specific good things. You were created to use your gifts, experiences, and resources for good—to serve those around you—in big and small ways. That is God’s purpose for you. And even if it sounds crazy, that’s where you’ll find the most happiness.

You may not know what those “specific good things” are. You may have tried serving others before and it didn’t exactly equal happiness. That’s okay. Nearly everything good in life takes more than a few tries to get right. The point is that by serving others now, you’re likely to discover even more things you’re good at, a few things you’re not, and the biggest issues you care about. As you do, it’ll become even more clear that God made you on purpose, for a purpose. And when you start to serve others according to His purpose, happiness isn’t far behind.

So take a closer look at how God made you:

• What are some things you’ve always been good at?
• What subjects come easily to you?
• What traits or skills do you get compliments on?
• What are some ways God could use those things (that you listed above) to help the people around you right now?
• What are some on-campus and off-campus opportunities to volunteer to serve others?

 

We adapted this Plan from an interactive book called Starting Now: A 30-Day Guide to Becoming Who You Want to Be in College. Learn More at StartingNowDevo.com