Why Apply to QUEST?

by Matthew Kliever

Is a Year of Quest Really Worth It?

What do a motorbike, IV anti-biotics, and a year of Bible College have in common?I thought you’d never ask! They’re all things that have been offered to me, whether I wanted them or not. Now, let me explain.

Sometimes in life we know what’s good for us. Exercise and fresh veggies: good. Car crashes: bad. Friends that help us make good choices: good. Pretty simple, right? How to choose the good things and reject the bad things is another story for another blog post, but for now let’s just assume that sometimes you and I know the difference between good and bad options.

For example, when I was offered a classic motorbike for a one-time payment of $0, it was very simple: “This is one of those ‘good’ things. I should say ‘yes’!”

Then there are times when we know we need something but have no idea what. The car starts making new noises, or you get this weird blistery rash on your leg. What do you do? If you’re like most people, you find an expert, or at least someone who knows more than you. Someone who can tell you that it’s your car’s alternator, not the muffler bearings. That it’s poison ivy on your leg, not the plague.

So when the doctor offered me IV antibiotics to get the infection out of the stab-wound in my foot, I said “yes” because I trusted that he knew exactly what I needed. (Turns out bones weren’t meant to resist pitch forks and all the nastiness that they have on them!)

Then there are times when we don’t even realize that we need something – but once we get it, we can’t remember how we ever survived without it. Like when we first learned to read and write. We had no idea how useful those skills would be until we had them, or maybe until we met someone who never had the chance to learn them.

When I was offered a year of Bible College, I had no idea how my life would change. I had no idea what God had in store for me. I had no idea things could be this good.

Now I work in the Quest program at the college, and every year I hear students say something like,

“If I knew this is what Quest was like, I never would have come…but now I know it’s exactly what I needed.”

I love it, and I hate it. I love it because I love that they came. I love that they discovered what they really needed. And I love that they started getting it!

But I also hate it. I hate that what they needed is not what they wanted. And what about all the people who needed it but didn’t come?

Turns out, in moments of humble honesty, we know that we don’t always know what we need, or how to get it. How do I hear God’s voice best, and why should I even care about that? Which skills and character traits should I develop? How can I make better decisions? If God actually has a plan for my life, what is it? And what do those things have to do with getting the job, the family, and the life I want?

It’s easy to get so focused on getting the right job that we don’t work on becoming the kind of person someone will want to hire. We work so hard on finding the right person to be with that we forget to become the kind of person that will be a good match for someone great. We say we’re keeping our “eyes on the prize”, but all too often we’re watching the prize from the couch instead of heading to the gym to actually train!

So, why is a year of Quest worth it?

Because it’s a year of investment that could pay off in every area of life, for the rest of your life.

Because it’s a great way to prioritize the most important things in life.

Because it’s a great way to learn about what you really need and the value you have to offer others.

And because you get to do all this with people that are dedicated to helping you live according to how God designed you and in light of his love for you.

Applications for next Fall are already open. Apply today.