Follow, Seek, and Please

Over the years, I have heard many parents give their children advice before they leave home and go away to college. Most of the advice is something similar to this: “Follow your heart,” “Go after your dreams,” or “Do what makes you happy.” It is now my turn to take one of my children to college, but my advice is just the opposite. It may be shocking, but I do not want my daughter to do any of those things. Instead, I want her to follow, seek, and please the Lord.

Follow the Lord

Jeremiah 17:9 reminds us that The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked:… I do not want my daughter to follow her heart; I want her to follow the Lord. John 8:12 says, Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. Jesus said if we follow Him, we will not walk in darkness. I do not want my daughter to stumble through life, wandering in the darkness. I want her path to be illuminated, so my advice to her is to follow the Lord, not her heart.

Seek God’s Will

It is not necessarily a bad thing to have goals, dreams, and aspirations, but if they do not align with God’s will for her life, she will never be truly happy because she will never have all the wonderful things that God has planned for her. Matthew 6:33 says, But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. What are all these things that will be added unto us? If we were to look in the preceding verses, we would find that these things include earthly treasures (money and relationships) and provisions (food and clothes). Everything that we need, as well as some things that bring happiness on earth, will be added to those who put God first and do His will.

Please God

I do not want my daughter to do what makes her happy. The desires of the flesh are contrary to the desires of the Spirit. (Galatians 5:17) Her greatest desire should be to please the Lord. If she pleases the Lord, everything else will work out just fine. It is possible to have favor with both God and man (Proverbs 3:4); however, if we seek our own pleasure or happiness alone, we will not please the Lord. We are reminded of this truth in Romans 8:8 which says, So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

I also want to remind my daughter that she can make sure she is following the Lord, seeking His will, and pleasing Him by validating her decisions with prayer, searching the Scriptures, and seeking godly counsel. She must not fall prey to the Devil’s lies when he whispers and tells her that she is old enough and smart enough to make decisions on her own.

I have done my part to raise her for the Lord, to train her in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, and to instruct her in the paths of righteousness. It is now her turn to apply what she has been taught. As I leave her at college, may my advice to always follow, seek, and please the Lord (not her flesh) resonate within her mind.

by Crystal Collingsworth