College is tough. Being a Christian is tough. But being a Christian in a place where few people know the Lord is the toughest of all. Being a Christian in college means you face persecution and temptation and everything else the devil has to throw at you. He wants you to submit and to turn away from God, but that is not what God made you for. Isaiah 49:6 says, "...I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the Earth". God made you to be His disciple, to honor Him in all of your actions, and to share His love whenever and to whoever possible. God made you to be a light.

College is notorious for turning people away from God. Parties! Drinking! Relationships! Unrestricted Freedom! But also and equally: schoolwork! Good grades! Organizations! Involvement! Many are swayed by offerings of the world and end up becoming a product of it, but many others simply don't put God first. For them, priorities are classes and homework and friends. They become mesmerized by anything but the Lord. None of this is what God called us for. Yes it's okay to enjoy yourself in college, make new friends, and be successful, but it's not okay to live for the 'experiences' and tell God you'll come back to Him when you have time. These people are throwing away everything with which God has readied them. He has equipped His followers with, among other things, the belt of truth, readiness from the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, and the sword of the spirit, or the word of God (Ephesians 6:14-17).

Public college is a huge mission field, teeming with people who don't know God at all or are questioning Him. God didn't call us to be these people, but to serve them and share His light. Matthew 5:14-16 says, "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl, instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." God didn't call us to ignore those who don't know Him, but to be in community with them, to share His love and be a beacon: a light in the darkness which surrounds them. It is said that you may be the only Jesus some people ever see, and I couldn't bear to throw that opportunity away. I personally would have trouble living with the knowledge that God created me for the sole purpose of furthering His kingdom and I'm disregarding that to continue living in the kingdom of the world. The fact is: the world's kingdom may be more expensive and ornate, grander, and more appealing, but only God's kingdom offers you a place forever. "The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp" (Revelation 21:23). The things of this world matter not when eternity is on the line.

God called us to spread His love and His word for the simple fact that everyone needs His light. This is a dark world we live in, and we cannot continue existing in the darkness, we need light, God's light, to guide the way. Our God cares about the souls of His people, and as Christians, we should too. "For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ" (2 Corinthians 4:6). Being a light and sharing God's love and His word constantly is tough, it really is. But it's not only necessary, but dire for any relationship with Him. Brothers and sisters, if you are merely living the Christian lifestyle of going to church and reading your bible, I urge you to change your thinking. Being a follower of Christ isn't about setting aside chunks of time for Him throughout the week, it's about making time for everything else in the midst of your time with Him. God is good and He is enough, and all He wants is for us to share these truths with the people around us.

So go out, be a light. Whether you are a lighthouse or just a dim bulb on the fritz, any amount of light takes away darkness.