Coming to college, you’re thrown into a totally different environment from what you were probably used to. Going to school at a public university at least, you’ll meet and interact with many different kinds of people. Many of these people are from lots of different places, cultural, and religious backgrounds than you. Sometimes being surrounded by all these different types of people and their ideas can cause you to start to forget the emphasis you usually placed on your faith and everything you believe in. Relationships, loads of school work and other responsibilities are just scratching the surface of things that begin to take up all your time and attention. You might find that your focus that was once solely dedicated to your relationship with God starts to waver and begins to be focused elsewhere.
It starts when you start experiencing the stress that comes along with being a college student. The things you used to hand over to Him to handle, you try to solve on your own. All this does is further your stress with the unbearable burden of dealing with things you have no control over. The time you used to spend or set aside to talk to God, whether it be daily devotionals or a prayer before bed, is spent doing other things, or forgotten altogether. The people you find yourself surrounded by everyday don’t always help the cause either. Many people in college might be in a similar situation as you, and may be just as lost or even more astray. Only a select few are a light that can lead you in the right direction. All the other superficial and unreliable things people idolize and emphasize at this time in your life make up the darkness that can make you stray away from the light.
When worries and troubles arise, you forget who to turn to. Yes, you can reassure yourself, you can vent to your friends, and you can call your mom. However, even though she’s pretty amazing, not even Mom has all the answers and reassurance you need. This is where you have to remember that someone higher is waiting for you, arms wide open, for you to find your way back and cast your worries unto Him. It’s here where you find someone who will listen to all your troubles, your triumphs, and all that you hope for. When you feel like no one understands, you're comforted by the fact that He knows what's in your heart, even when you can't even put what you're feeling into words. He knows you better than you know yourself, the good and the bad, and still has unimaginable love for you. This love is enough to suffice where the love from others in the world around you may be lacking. The peace that accompanies this realization is greater than any of the trials or uncertainties you may face.
This peace comes with knowing that the power you have over the outcomes of your life and the situations you’re faced with is limited, and the only source of unlimited power is found through the Lord. Turning to Him means the promise of a life filled with purpose, and you will be fulfilled in all aspects where life may fail you. Your college years are an important time in your life of solidifying who you want to be, and the possibilities are abundant. However, when you turn to the God to guide you on your journey, the possibilities are endless. Sometimes getting lost is what it takes to restore wavering faith and to find your way back to what is truly important.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5
