Freshman Reflections From Belmont UniversitySample

Day 38 – Service “That’s a good major—you can make a lot of money with it.” This is not the first time you have read or heard something like that. In fact, many colleges market themselves along the lines of, “You will earn more if you come here than if you don’t.” Earning a living is indeed part of becoming an adult, and getting an undergraduate degree can be an important part of the process of preparing for your life’s work. But it is worth bearing in mind that the word “career” comes from the French word for “racetrack": a place where you run round and round fast but never get anywhere. No one sets out to live a life of busy insignificance; it is the result of allowing the temptations of money and comfort drown out the voice of God. For God calls us to do work that is deeply significant and which we can love doing even if the earthly rewards are meager—though if we wind up being paid well for what God calls us to do, we can contribute even more money to other work we believe in. In either case, we are living lives in defiance of measuring our worth by our salary level or standard of living. The Christian vision for our work lives is summed up in the word “calling,” which raises the question: who is calling me and why? When Jesus calls us, he says a very countercultural thing: “The greatest among you will be your servant” (Matthew 23:12). One hates to contradict Jesus, but isn’t it the case that great people have servants, not that great people are servants? But Jesus came to show us what life is about: “I came not to be served, but to serve,” he said. While at Belmont, you can choose a major that will allow you to be part of what God still needs to do in the world. You can take part in internships, class projects, mission trips and ministries that allow you to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength.” And by taking advantage of opportunities in your residence hall, in student organizations, in the classroom and in your free time, you can “love your neighbor as yourself.” For you did not come here to be served, but to serve! DR. TODD LAKE Vice President for Spiritual Development