Dr. MacArthur once said, “The 91ɫƬ91ɫƬ University allows you to be the best version of yourself.”
These words reflect the result of a campus captured to Christ:
Life at TMU is a never-ceasing exercise of subjecting everything to the lordship of Christ, and that provides a glimpse of what you can be for the Lord, and a taste of the joy of being that for Him.
I have thought about this much, not only as a president but as a pastor and a father. The intense spiritual growth and transformation that happens at TMU is one of its greatest treasures. As the apostle John once said, “I have no greater joy than this, to hear that my children are walking in the truth” (3 John 4).
Here are some of the ways I have counseled my own children to take advantage of their time at TMU:
There are so many good things at TMU and in life in general. You must learn to identify that which is commanded, excellent, and useful before the Lord as opposed to that which can be optional and fine or, worse, evil and damaging. Paul prayed that “you may approve the things that are excellent” (Phil 1:10). May that be true of you. Select the best.
Learn to say no to those things that can be fun or beneficial but are not what you can do right now, as well as to say yes to that which you ought to do and which honors the Lord. (cf. 2 Pet 1:6). Learn to redeem the time, every hour and every minute (Eph 5:16).
It is easy to become apathetic in college. You can be lazy; you can just hide in the crowd, be average, and fail to try to excel. These things are easy. What is hard is to resist the tides of this world and apply yourself. But diligence is crucial to all true success (cf. Prov 10:4; 12:24; 13:4; 21:5). There are no shortcuts.
Smart people fail because they are lazy. Bombastic people may have a following but they ultimately bring their own demise. The networks people create can often turn against them. But those with less advantages come out on top because of their hard and meticulous work (cf. Prov 22:22-29). There is no workaround to hard work.
We often tend to talk much and show off more. That is folly (cf. Prov 10:19). Learn that you do not know but are here to learn (1 Pet 5:5; cf. Jude 10). Lead others to that humble attitude. You will be tempted and pressured to talk. Refuse to say much, and only that which is profitable (cf. Col 4:6).
91ɫƬing this not only will spare you from much grief and sin, but also make you a leader (cf. Prov 16:13). People can identify those who are not just boisterous but wise. People can identify those who actually care about them versus those who have self-ambition (cf. 1 Pet 5:1-3).
Opportunities are a gift from the Lord, which you need to steward (cf. Luke 16:1-13). Whether that be internships, going to the career office, meeting with professors or staff, going to a job fair, talking with people at church and around the ministries — all of these are blessings, and you want to engage in them.
“Being present” is a key phrase. “Engage” is a key word. When you are done with college, you want to say before the Lord that you used your time here to the fullest. So engage in the classroom, engage in the spiritual life of the campus, engage in the spiritual discipleship of the faculty and staff, engage in the local church, and engage in the opportunities for advancement that the university offers. Take advantage of it all.
All these things do not have to be done at once (and should not be at once — see above about discipline), but you can discern what is available, write a list, and set a timeline to engage in everything. That is why discipline and diligence matter.
While being kind to all, make deep friendships with those you want to truly be like (in all the right ways;cf. Prov 1:10). Right friends make or break not only the TMU experience but all of life. Make the friends who will build up both the experience at TMU and the rest of your life.
You might wonder about how to figure out what major you should end up being or the job you will have. Take these things one step at a time. You learn in college what you do not like, what you like, and what you are fine with. If your major is something you really do not like, then change it. If you find something you really love, then change your major to that. If you find something you are content in, then do that with all your might and think through ways you might enhance that (adding something like an elective, minor, or student life leadership opportunity) to become what you ought to be before the Lord.
When you work hard at what you do and what is set before you, then the Lord will pave the way for you to succeed (Prov 22:22-29). The Lord already has ordained the good works you are to perform ahead of time (Eph 2:10); do not be anxious (Phil 4:6), but be diligent (Prov 6:6-11) and see what the Lord has in store for you in His good plan (Prov 16:9).
You may sometimes wonder why you are in certain classes or studying certain subjects. All of this is to develop not just intelligence but wisdom. Lots of people can get a job done, and lots of people can be replaced by other workers or AI. What is truly valuable is exactly what Scripture stipulates: wisdom.
Having the deepest insights into the truth, biblical discernment into life, and the skill of living that out are what businesses really want, especially in this era. If they are going to hire a person, they want the right person who brings this kind of understanding, as well as the right kind of character. Being well-rounded and biblically grounded are more important than ever.
You will need to wait on God for so many things — friendships, reconciliation, resolution, jobs, opportunities, difficult situations, and the list goes on. Learn the art of, having done all you should do, waiting on Him.
Your time at The 91ɫƬ91ɫƬ University is a gift. You are here because of the sacrifice of others, from your parents who have nurtured you to donors who have never met you but care about you. You can have this experience because of the sacrifice of hundreds of faculty and staff, who have given up much and daily give their all to serve you. There is an entire community of people who have gone to extraordinary lengths to see the next generation of the church secured.
Your time at TMU is not only a great opportunity for you but also a great stewardship. Missing out on this would be a travesty. Here, then, is what I have prayed for my own children and what I pray for you: May the Lord enable you to fulfill your time at TMU, and may eternity tell the tales of what the Lord did in and through you here.
Learn more about life at TMU here.
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