I’ve been going to church my entire life, but it wasn’t until eight years ago that I decided to actually care about what I was listening to. At the age of twelve years old, I finally got baptized and I prayed every single night and read the Bible starting from Genesis. Every single day was a new chapter, with something new to read. I made it to the Book of Isaiah when I gave up because of the hardships of high school. Being a Christian in high school definitely wasn’t easy, but I figured maybe it’ll be a bit easier in college.
Let me make a long story short: It isn’t any easier.
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In college, there seem to be temptations all over for a young Christian man like myself. Remember the story of Jacob, and how he worked for fourteen years straight in order to get married to the love of his life, Rachel? I don’t even think Ross from "Friends"would go that hard for his own Rachel, so how am I supposed to be so dedicated when there’s seemingly one beautiful woman with every hallway that I pass?
You also can’t forget about the stress. When it comes to midterms and essays and finals and extracurricular activities and family and work, your brain just wants to shut down. Rather than turn to God, it just feels easier to pretend He doesn’t exist and tell ourselves we can do this with no help. Surely, passing this final is a much mightier task than splitting the Red Sea or feeding five thousand people with five loaves and two fish.
Then there’s the struggle of even finding friends that believe in the same God as you. College is a place where people of religions all over the world come together. I have Muslim friends, I have Hindu friends, and I have friends who couldn’t care less whether there’s someone upstairs or not. With friends believing in so many different gods, who is there to talk to when I’m struggling believing in my God?
Oh man, let’s not even mention the time. You wake up at a time much earlier than you’d like in the morning, head to class all groggy and tired, miraculously make it through three lectures in the day, do homework and study, and then have friends ask if you want to hang out. Next thing you know, you’re back home and it’s already time to go to sleep. Where could I possibly put God in my busy schedule?
All right, time to relax and calm down.
Being a Christian in college isn’t easy, for sure. But just know that you’re not alone. There’s thousands of Christians all over campuses in the country that are struggling with their faith; I know for a fact I’m far from the only one. The struggles we face can be so hard, it just seems so unfair. There will most likely be times when we mess up. David, the King of Israel, screwed up bad when he couldn’t stop checking out a fine woman by the name of Bathsheba and ordered the death of her husband just so he can swoop into her DM’s and take her as his wife. Okay, there were no DM’s back then, but you get the point. Mistakes happen to everyone; if it can happen to someone as holy as David, it can happen to us.
At the same time, however, we must persist. God challenges us to test our faith. The same way he challenged Abraham, Job, and Moses, so will He challenge us when it comes to college. I suggest using every opportunity as a means to get even closer to God.
You see a fine looking woman walking down the hall? Don’t do what David did and murder her lover and swoop in for marriage. Turn a blind eye.
Stressed out about a final? Take some time out of studying, get down on your knees, and spend a quick five minutes just praying to God to help you overcome.
Struggling making friends? Find a Christian fellowship on campus and find others who will rejoice in the faith with you. No Christian fellowship on campus? Make one!
Time management an issue for you? Figure out something in your schedule you can cut back on. Use any free time possible to do a quick prayer, whether it be walking to class or even showering in the morning. Any time devoted to talking to God will help in the long run.
Being a Christian in college is far from easy, but it is far from impossible. David, the same dude who goofed up with Bathsheba, was also the same one who killed a giant when he was just a kid. No problem is ever too big for God. As long as you remember that, you should be graduating with a smile on your face, a stronger Christian than ever.
