On The Mark

by Matt Gille:  MatthewGille@Gmail.Com

Who would have ever thought that I would be able to relate my business school experience to seminary?  The one thing I think about while I am studying at seminary is opportunity cost.  Opportunity cost is the physical and financial gains I could have received if I had not made my current decision.  If I had not decided to attend seminary, I could:

1. Still have my old job (financial stability)

2. Live closer to immediate family

3. Still have my old circles of friends

4. Be able to attend all FSU home football games!

But the more I think about these opportunity costs, the more excited I am about the decision that I did make.

At new student orientation the President of the seminary encouraged us by stating, “You will never be younger than you are right now in this moment”.   He told us this because he wanted to encourage us to not quit.  The things we were going to learn over the next couple of years will be so beneficial in our walk with the Lord and the ministry God has for us.  These were good words to meditate on.  I know that God has my wife and I here for a reason, and I am excited that the Lord has called me here at a young age so that I may be able to use what I learn here throughout the rest of my life to bring glory to Christ.

Seminary is not as easy as I thought that it was going to be.  In my undergrad I had never written a long research paper or had to read so many books (business school was about finance, accounting, and marketing).  My first week  here I had to read the whole book of Genesis as well as three separate commentaries on the book of Genesis for my Old Testament class.  Seminary is intense!  Even though the grind is tough and I have to go to chapel 3 times a week (which is a lot of church), I have enjoyed the fact that I am learning things that I am actually passionate about.  The opportunity cost may not make sense financially, but I am thankful that the Lord has brought me here and I am confident that the Lord will provide.