By Briana Bass, Christian Romance Author, Devotional Writer & Certified Professional Coach

High school seniors, the time has come. I know you’re excited about graduation, but you have some big decisions to make first. Society is putting a lot of pressure on you to decide what you’re going to do for the rest of your life, starting with where you’re going to college.

I know some of you may be considering alternatives to college, and that’s cool too! There are many options available: two-year college, four-year college, trade school, going into the workforce, or gap year. Whatever you decide, be sure to include God in your decision making.

The Game of Life

Life is full of decisions. Some are small, like what to eat for dinner. Some are big, like buying a house. Regardless of the size of the decision, it will have consequences. Every thought and action has an effect. We may not always see the effects immediately, or even in our lifetime, but the effects will be felt at some point.

This is not meant to scare you! Decision paralysis is real, and I don’t want to add any pressure on you. I merely want you to recognize that whatever you decide to do after high school will lead you down a path of some sort. The good news is that you don’t walk that path alone. Jesus is beside you every step of the way.

Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths” (KJV). Write these verses down on a sticky note and put it on your bathroom mirror. Or your car visor. Or the back of your door. Put it somewhere you will see it daily so you can read it every day. More importantly, follow the advice of these verses and let God guide you.

Decisions, Decisions

When I was considering colleges back in 2008, I did not ask God about it. I applied to and was accepted into my dream school, and I had every intention of going there. Then I went for a college visit. It was the worst weekend (largely for reasons outside of the university’s control) and I knew in my heart it wasn’t the right fit for me.

And I still didn’t turn to God. Instead, a few weeks later, I went on another campus visit to a different college. As soon as I stepped out of the car, I knew that the was college for me. How? I felt the Holy Spirit fill me with a certainty I had never felt before. I may not have been talking to God about my college decisions, but He was right there with me all along.

He’s with you, too! The difference is that unlike my experience, you can choose today to include God in your college decision. You can start talking to Him right now about where you should go and what you should study. Get into the habit of always turning to God when you have big decisions to make. From there, it will become second nature to include Him in all decisions, both big and small.

The Choice is Yours

Wait a minute, you say. Don’t I have free will? Isn’t this my choice?

Absolutely. You can choose to include God or not include God. You can choose to go to the college you want, or attend the school that God wants you to attend. In some cases, that might be the same school! You don’t have to take my advice. You can stop reading this blog post right now. But I hope you will be open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, not just today or with your college decision, but every day and with every decision.

And remember, whatever you decide to do next, it doesn’t have to be what you do for the rest of your life. It could simply be what you do for right now or for the next few years. The road of life is full of twists and turns. I never imagined I’d be writing this blog post, yet here I am. I earned a degree in English-Writing, worked in higher education, and now I’ve finally made the leap to full-time writer. My path has been full of surprises. I can’t wait to see where your path leads!