A Publication of Christian Schools International
|
Spring 2014
33
DepositPhotos/andresr
STUDENT SECTION
pplause rumbled through the church as dozens
of black caps soared through the air. We had ea-
gerly anticipated finishing high school, but the day
of graduation seemed to have quickly crept up on
us. As the class began singing "Guide Me," our closing hymn,
thoughts intertwined and tangled in my head. Tomorrow my
class would take our first steps into the world as "graduated"
adults. I felt that my planning for the future had been rushed
and that I had not looked at what God was calling me to do.
Did God want me to develop my gifts and talents? Or was he
calling me to be a wife and mother?
My circle of family and friends placed a great deal of pres-
sure on women to get married sooner rather than later in
life. Getting married soon after high school was typical in my
community, and many girls in my class planned on working
for a year at the local greenhouse and getting married after-
ward. But where did education fit in for me? Would education
be of any help in my life if I married in two years? Grasping
my diploma, I quietly prayed that God would truly guide me.
"Decisions become easier when your will to please God
outweighs your will to please the world."--Anso Coetzer.
This quotation is put to the test when considering education,
especially for today's women. The duty of a Christian is to
obey God, but it may seem that God has conflicting callings
when it comes to women and education. One calling from
God is for women to be the helper, to be a wife and mother.
Titus 2:45 says, "Then [the older women] can urge the
younger women to love their husbands and children, to be
self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and
to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the
word of God." In many communities this calling is taken very
Conflicting Callings?
seriously, and there is pressure for women to marry young.
But a second calling from God is to develop the gifts and
talents he graciously gives to each of us. In Romans 12:6
Paul says, "We have different gifts, according to the grace
given to each of us." Here God is showing his people that it is
wrong for anyone, man or woman, to squander the gifts given
by God.
With two seemingly conflicting callings from God, it is easy
for teenage women to become confused and frustrated. What
most girls do not see is that God's callings are not conflicting.
Our most important calling is to glorify God in whatever situ-
ation he places us. Within that, those who marry are called
to be good wives and mothers. Receiving a good education
can help achieve this goal. Wives wear many hats and may
be called upon to answer questions, manage time, volunteer,
handle finances, and serve in the church community. What-
ever a teenage woman has learned in education will help
her to excel in each of the responsibilities a wife and mother
holds. Ruth Meerveld, guidance officer at Heritage Christian
School, says, "My university education helped prepare me for
my roles as wife, mother, church member, and teacher, but I
always felt that no matter what I did, even if I ended up work-
ing the check out at a supermarket, my studies would never
have been wasted." Education is a worthwhile investment,
not only for potential employment but as a means of develop-
ing yourself and the gifts that God has given you.
Education can provide security for the unknown future. In our
youth we cannot predict when or if we will marry, if our hus-
bands will have trouble carrying the financial load, or if God
will bless us with children. Getting an education could lead to
part-time jobs that will help to stabilize our economic situation
and allow us to provide for our families.
B
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T
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ieuwenhuyzen