A Letter to a Son Going to College
Rusty Miller
My son,
As you prepare to go away to college, I thought I
should warn you about some things the devil will use
to attack you. Please do not think this is all he will
do (remember 1 Pet. 5:8), but I believe there are three
areas in which he will attack with the most effort, and
I wanted to offer advice on how to deal with each one.
The temptation to sin sexually: At college,
there will be more young women your age than you
have ever known. A great many of them will dress
provocatively, and indeed, many of them will have
already been sexually active. Some of them, confused
by such cultural phenomena as “Sex and the City,”
will promote the myth of “casual sex,” the idea that
sex is not a big deal, and can be engaged in without
thought to consequences, particularly to the soul.
As I said, the idea is a myth. Besides the dangerous
and troubling physical consequences of such
action, there are eternal consequences that make this
a matter of grave importance. From the beginning,
sex was given by God to married couples, both for
procreation (Gen. 1:28) and for pleasure (Song of
Solomon 4). It is a significant part of the “one flesh”
relationship designed for marriage. Outside of
marriage, Paul says it is the only sin that one commits
“against his own body” (1 Cor. 6:18).
In addition, there is great joy to be found in
remaining pure until marriage. Being able to present
yourself to your bride in a pure way is one of the
greatest wedding gifts you can give her, and I hope
you will make it your goal.
The temptation to sin with alcohol: Among
the biggest temptations facing college students away
from home is the temptation to abuse alcohol. Many
will tell you that alcohol is harmless, or that “one
little drink is not going to hurt you.” There are
several things I would have you consider.
First, for most of your days in college, the state
says it is illegal for you even to possess an alcoholic
beverage. As Christians, are we not to obey the laws
of the land? Second, the rehab centers and hospitals
are filled with those who thought alcohol was harmless,
only to find themselves hopelessly addicted to it.
In addition to that, the morgues are filled with those
whose deaths were caused by the poor decisions that
so often accompany the consumption of alcohol, and
there are thousands of families torn apart by the sin
of alcoholism. The impact on your decision-making
processes also often leads to sexual sin. Finally, there
is the cost of your soul to consider. Hell will also be
filled by those who thought “one little drink won’t
hurt me.” Consider Proverbs 23:29-35, as Solomon
relates the degradation of the drinker.
The temptation to “skip church”: Satan makes
this one very easy. You don’t have to make a decision
to do wrong. You don’t have to do something vile.
In fact, you don’t have “do” anything. All you have
to do is sleep late on Sunday morning. It will be
easy, because most of your dorm mates will be doing
the same thing. No one’s going to wake you up and
“make” you go. It will be easy.
Do not be so easily convinced. While the temptations
of sex and alcohol are very dangerous, I believe
in many ways, this is even more so. When you
decide to “sleep in,” you give in to Satan just a little
bit. But no one goes from Christian one day to
reprobate the next. It is a gradual process. When
you give in just a little, the next time it will be easier,
and before long, you will find that you are “giving
in” on bigger and bigger matters, sacrificing your
Christianity and values for what is “easy.”
Heb. 10:25 teaches us that we are not to forsake
“our own assembling together,” but the erosion on
your values and indeed, on your soul, is what really
matters here. There will be many times you may
think you are too tired to get up and go. Get up, get
dressed and go anyway. You will think that you can
simply go to the evening service. Get up, get dressed,
and go anyway. You may be the only one in your
dorm who gets up and goes. Get up, get dressed and
go anyway.
As I said, these will not be the only ways Satan
tries to entice you, but these are prominent ways. Do
not give in. Remember that you may be all that
many of your friends ever see of Christianity. Be a
shining example to them (Matt. 5:16).
With love,
Your Dad