There are a lot of attitudes, inherited from one generation to another, that through the course of time end up seeming so normal to us that we would never consider to evaluate them. They are so obviously true that even daring to question them would make most people doubt your mental health, or think of you as some kind of fanatic. But some of these attitudes are wrong, and history teaches us that we can be thankful for people who have dared to think differently.

When it comes to the Christian faith there are also many things we say, or attitudes towards different things that we unconsciously inherit from our parents, culture, and friends. They seem so right, but if someone were to ask “why is it true?”, we would not be able to point to the Bible for proof. And this is a problem because the Bible should be our primary guide when it comes to life.

I'm sure that we could mention many things, and I'm not saying that I don't have any wrong attitudes inherited from my background, but I am willing to learn and question the things I've always believed because I know that truth will stand the test.

Something to fall back on
One of the areas that many would never dare to question is the area of education. Now, education is good and we should never stop educating ourselves, but in today's society we have created a system that we want all people to go through.

When teenagers leave high school, it's obvious that they should find some other kind of educational path to start on. Maybe they don't know what they want, but they have to choose something. Maybe they feel a call from God, but this must by no means interfere with them getting some kind of education. After all, they can serve God as they are going through college; they just have to make sure that serving God doesn't affect their education. They can serve God fully after the graduation, and then they also have something to fall back on if things should not work out.

It sounds so reasonable, so right, so logical and so true, so what could possibly be wrong?

But what about God's will? Shouldn't that come first?

Many would argue that God is not against education, and I totally agree, but He is very much against putting anything before Him, and that includes your education. Jesus did not say: seek first his kingdom and his righteousness after you have completed an education, and all these things will be given to you as well. Some might argue that we can seek God first, as we are taking our education, and I totally agree – if God has called you to take an education.

If God has not called you to do that, it will be hard to seek Him first, as you are living in disobedience. The truth is that if you start your studies in disobedience, you'll most likely end them as a lukewarm Christian with a badly damaged conscience after years of disobeying God.

Is God against young people taking an education? No, but He is against people doing things just because they are following the social norm without really asking Him what He wants.

In today's society education is one of those things you just have to do without questioning or else you'll be sorry later. If you seek God about it, then you are only supposed to ask Him: “What education should I take?” and never think about asking Him: “God, do you want me to take an education?”. After all, it's always God's will for everyone to have a secular education besides serving Him because if His plan fails, then He needs you to have a backup plan, which He doesn't have.

Is this really so? I guess we would not put it exactly like this, but that is what we are saying through our actions – and actions speak louder than words.

If you take an education, hoping to have something to fall back on, after serving God for some years, you will be disappointed because in today's society information in many fields changes so quickly that the education you took 10 years ago is most likely to be outdated today. Researchers even say that the most attractive jobs 10 years from now do not even exist today.

If God calls you to take an education, then by all means do it! God is calling people to take different educations because He needs more than full-time preachers. But don't do it just because you want to be like everyone else and because you don't know what to do with your life. Seek God first, and wait for Him to show you what to do.

When we read about Saul in the Bible, we see that God rejected him because he was not careful to obey everything the Lord had said. When the prophet did not come at the time they had agreed and the people around got restless, he took matters in his own hands. To some it might seem a reasonable thing to do. After all, the prophet was late, the people were restless and the enemy was getting closer.

But God is never too late! It's better to be late for an appointment and obey God than to take things in your own hands. Moses did the same mistake as Saul and it resulted in Ishmael, who is the father to the Arabs, the origin of the Muslim population.

Taking the will of God for your life lightly can have serious consequences, and is not really compatible with having Jesus as Lord. Social norms make us do, think or have many things – but they have not been created by God.

Our social norms have been created by carnal people who don't have an eye for what comes after this life. They don't consider Heaven or Hell, but live their life here on earth, trying to make it as pleasant as possible. That is why God is telling us not to be conformed to this world.

• Romans 12:1-2
  Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

In The Message translation of the Bible it says: “...Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God.” We should live our life here on earth with a focus on eternity.