College is an exciting season of life full of opportunities for learning, growth, and independence. As a follower of Jesus, staying rooted and grounded in your faith is essential to living a life worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:27).
Standing firm in your faith won’t always be easy throughout your years of college. There may be seasons of temptation, stress and hardship. Galatians 5:17 says, “For the flesh desires what is against the Spirit, and the Spirit desires what is against the flesh…” God is good and kind, and He wants you to live in step with the Spirit so that you may experience the abundant life that He has for you.
Embrace your identity in Jesus Christ
Where you find your identity will inform the decisions you make and the way you decide to live everyday life. The questions “who am I?” and “what purpose do I have?” are questions that a lot of people in our culture today are asking themselves. As believers, we don’t have to ask those questions, because we already know who we are. Jesus says that you are:
- A citizen of heaven, awaiting the day that Jesus returns (Philippians 3:20)
- Fully known by Jesus (John 10:14-15)
- A chosen friend of Jesus (John 15:14-16)
- Fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14)
- Loved, saved and alive in Jesus (Ephesians 2:4-9)
- You have purpose in Jesus (Ephesians 2:10)
Jesus has given us all the love that our hearts long for. Pray and call these truths to mind. Study these Scriptures, commit them to memory, write them on your mirror, and keep them in your phone. Embracing your identity in Jesus will give you peace and joy, and will help you stay rooted and grounded in your faith in the everyday moments of college.
Read God’s Word and pray
Reading God’s Word and spending time in prayer every day is essential to having a deep relationship with Jesus. It’s easy to fall into the motions of going to church, opening your Bible every once in a while, and praying when hard times come, but these habits won’t be enough to cultivate and sustain a deep relationship with Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” God’s will for you is to be praying to Him all throughout your day.
In Matthew 7, Jesus ends the Sermon on the Mount with these words: “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.” Jesus is helping us understand just how important it is to read God’s Word and put it all into practice.
As you look at your social life, your classes, your work, and all the other things you may be involved in, ensure that you make time in your schedule to open God’s Word and pray daily. Without intentionally deciding to build this into your routine, you may find yourself believing that you don’t have enough time for it. Spending time reading the Bible and praying will bring life to your heart and mind. Don’t miss out!
Live in Christian Community
As believers, we are in deep need of one another. Community is one of the greatest joys of the Christian life. We are stronger together as we sharpen and encourage one another (Proverbs 27:17). Not only is community a gift from God, but it’s also a command. John 15:12-13 says, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.”
Whether it’s your first year in college, or you are a returning student on a college campus, seek out other believers who can walk alongside you, and who you can encourage and build up. Deep relationships take commitment, time, and sacrifice to establish and maintain. Give time and energy to your community, and prayerfully invite God into your relationships with others. Find a local church to be involved in, look for Christian communities on your campus, attend events and meet people. Don’t be afraid to initiate new relationships!
Who is God calling you to walk closely with this year?
Your campus is your mission field
You are on your college campus for a great purpose. College is a place to learn, grow, meet people and make lasting memories, but you are there for more. In Matthew 28, after Jesus resurrected from the grave and before he ascended into heaven, he says to his disciples, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (v. 19-20). The great commission wasn’t only for Peter, John and the other disciples who heard these words. It also isn’t only for missionaries and people working in full time ministry. Jesus calls you to participate in the great commission.
No matter what kind of campus you are on – Christian or public, small or big – there are people around you who need the good news of Jesus Christ, and you carry it! Romans 10:15 says, “And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!’” You have been sent to your college campus to share the good news of the gospel of Christ.
Build relationships with people in your classes, in your clubs and student organizations, and with your neighbors. As you build relationships, get to know people on a deeper level by asking them about what’s important to them. Share your own story honestly and openly, and tell others how Jesus saved you and changed your life. Be obedient to God’s command to share the gospel, no matter how nervous or uncomfortable you may feel at first. Take a step at a time, and God will be faithful.
Honor God in your work and school
School is important. If it wasn’t important, God may have sent you to use your time and energy for something else. The reading, the studying, the writing and the projects—it all holds importance. From business to engineering, to communications and beyond, God is preparing you to use your skills and knowledge for something greater than yourself. 1 Corinthians 10:31 says, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” You will be a greater witness to the people around you through the way you study, work, and apply yourself as if you’re working for the Lord.
A final prayer for you from Ephesians 3:14-21
“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”
“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”
