The Pilgrim’s Protest

By Sarah Nixon

Underchallenged? Perhaps that’s not the first word that comes to mind when thinking of the CIU populace. It certainly doesn’t jump into mine. But a few weeks ago a chapel speaker came and told the student body very confidently that they were “underchallenged”. While it seems humorous that a visiting chapel speaker could know how challenged CIU students are, was he right? Somehow it seems that he missed something in his assumption.
Between classes, homework, field education, chapel, the work most of us have to do to afford to come to CIU, church, friends and sleep, there is little room for much else. Yet a cry frequently heard around campus is “you ought”. “You ought…to help out the homeless downtown.” “You ought…to tutor elementary school students.” “You ought…to be involved in a church and do ministry there.” “You ought…to make sure that your studies are a priority.” These “oughts” ring in our ears from morning to night!
Unfortunately, these frequent chastisements to be involved, while done with good intentions, could quite possibly do more harm than good. Rather than encouraging students to do ministry, these pleas often seem to be a sort of Christian guilt trip—you aren’t doing enough, you aren’t working hard enough, and you aren’t being a “good Christian”.
Guilt is not a very good motivator for getting people to do things, and a quick glance at the effectiveness of these appeals to obligation can prove that. The Student Senate, despite well-publicizing the Adopt-a-Highway campaign, has to require its members to go or not enough people would show up! And when CIU had a prayer walk down Monticello last semester with pastors from the Crane Creek Alliance, not more than 30 students showed up. Even Refocus segments highlighting ministry opportunities in Columbia and a president who is involved in local ministry have done little to impact the amount of students who do anything about the issues here in Columbia.
So why continue these subtle jabs to the Christian obligation? Is CIU really training world Christians for long, successful ministries, or are they training future ministry burnouts who can’t say no to anything? It seems that many of these people who come forget that first and foremost, CIU students are just that—students. We are here to minister, yes, but primarily we’re here to learn. And while hands-on learning is a vital part of the educational process, our Field Education provides numerous opportunities to put what we learn into practice.
The answer to the problem of CIU students getting involved is not to continually place demands for more, more, more to do. Rather it is to remind them that they are students first and their studies should be the most important thing right now. As Ecclesiastes 3:1 says, “there is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven”. Once students realize that, they can be free not to accept every ministry opportunity that comes their way. They can look at them as opportunities, rather than obligations. And when they do that, they are more likely to be able to listen to where God actually wants them to minister. So students: Live free, knowing that God has called you to this place to prepare you for the ministry that He wants you to do. Learn to be ok with saying no. Then you’ll be more likely to find that elusive school/ministry balance—not underchallenged, but never overcommitted.