University, a Gap Year or Something Else

What do you do when your child finishes school and suddenly the big question is staring you in the face: University, a gap year, a discipleship school—or something completely different?For many young people, the pressure is to choose a career as quickly as possible. But is finding a career the same thing as finding your calling? And should we really expect an eighteen-year-old to know what they want to do with the rest of their life?Perhaps a gap year could be an opportunity to grow in faith, discover who you are in Christ, develop practical skills, and learn to hear God for yourself. But a gap year can also bring its own challenges—especially when a young person goes overseas alone, without the spiritual foundations, accountability, or support they need.So what role should parents play? How do we encourage our children without controlling their decisions? When should we encourage university or further study, and when might a year of discipleship be the better choice? And how do we build on everything we've taught our children about God so that faith becomes something they personally own, rather than simply something they inherited from their parents?Ultimately, this isn't just about choosing what to do after school. It's about learning to ask a much bigger question:“God, what do You want me to do with my life?”Before finding a career, perhaps there is something more important to discover—who you are, whose you are, and what God has called you to become.