My first semester at WKU was tough, and that’s probably an understatement. I didn’t do much, I didn’t meet many people, and honestly I just didn’t have a lot of fun. This resulted in me coming to the conclusion that I needed to transfer. If you would have talked to me over winter break, I would have told you that without a doubt in my mind that I was leaving WKU and going to Grand Canyon University in Arizona. Then, the spring semester happened. I formed a lot of amazing relationships that are still growing stronger every day, and this made my decision much more difficult. I have just recently made the decision to stay, but this decision was something that I struggled with a great amount these past few months while trying to figure out what God wanted from me.
About three weeks ago, I consulted a very wise man by the name of Ryan Cole to try and help me find any kind of refuge on this decision. As we were talking, he told me something that inspired this entire blog. Verbatim, he said, “I don’t think there is a wrong decision in this situation. Your salvation doesn’t depend on it, so you can’t really go wrong.” That sentence really made me think. Whenever I pictured God’s plan, and I can’t assume I’m the only one because this is how I was taught, I thought of a fork in the road with two clear, linear paths. The first path being the life God wants us to live, and the second path being anything and everything else. Now when it comes to accepting Christ in your heart: yes, you are either a believer or you’re not, but what about with every other decision you make in life?
After looking over some scripture, the two verses that really stood out to me are these:
“In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.” – Proverbs 16:9
“But first seek His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” – Matthew 6:33
Instead of looking at God’s path as a one way street that is completely set in stone, I like to think of it as an open field with endless possibilities. God does not limit us and say this is where you need to live, this is what you need to major in, or this is who I want you to be friends with; instead, he tells you to live your life being the person that you want to be, and whatever you choose to do — I will work through you. Rather than free will being discussed as only the decision to follow God or not, I believe that is merely a small part of the bigger picture. Free will is also God giving us the liberty to live our life in our own way knowing that He will work through us no matter what.
Romans 8:28 says:
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
I realized that whether I moved out to Arizona or stayed at WKU, if I followed God I would ultimately be alright. At the end of the day, it didn’t really matter what I chose. Wherever I ended up, God would create a new path for me and work miracles. Read this one again, “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.” God’s plan is not about trying to make every right decision hoping He will work in our lives. God’s plan is about taking Him on the journey with us, and being confident that no matter what we choose He will continue to work through our lives abundantly. So the next time you can’t make up your mind on something as small as what you want to do tonight or as big as where you want to live next; relax, and trust that no matter what happens God will work it all out for His glory.
Just a little bit south of WKU, Ben comes to us from Nashville, Tennessee. Majoring in healthcare administration, he is currently a freshman here on the hill. Ben loves to travel, and has been to 48 states!