Spiritual life in College

I decided to share my advice on how to improve your walk with God in college. These tips are applicable to anyone who has been struggling to find your way but I thought I would share what I went through in college which helped me gain perspective on the importance of maintaining my relationship with God.

College is a time where we are far away from home, away from the prying eyes of our parents. It is then we begin to understand how strong of a foundation that they built in us that we practice in our lives and also a time where our relationship with God takes a huge hit.

I hope these help to some extent and you would decide to take that step to move closer to God

1. Priority

This is an obvious one but so important because if your first priority is not God, then you won't probably go through the rest of the list. In college, our priority changes to friends, having fun, exams, studies, etc. It's so easy to forget God in the midst of chasing after other things. If I could go back in time, I would say the same thing to my past self, 'PUT GOD FIRST'. My parents always told me but I had forgotten it. The truth is everything fades away but only God remains. In those moments of pain and loneliness, He was there but I learned this lesson too late.

2. Quiet time with God

Setting apart some time in the day for God is a great habit to have. We have time for everything but prayer and worship. We compromise with our quiet time willingly giving it up, if we need to. Prayer is our communication to God and spending time with Him, helps us to know Him more and understand His will in our life. If it means that you have to wake up early in the morning or give up certain things so that you can have that time, then do it. When we are in college, we go through a lot of ups and downs. The stress of every kind surrounds us and when they begin to consume us, spending a few minutes in prayer can bring you peace and strengthen you for the day.

3. Bible Study

I used to read the Bible every day but I read it how I read my surgery textbook which was just passive reading. If I studied my surgery textbook by understanding, the concepts by deep diving into and spending some time to understand, I would have been able to excel. Just like that instead of just reading the Bible, try studying it. Let the Word of God teach you and guide you. It is a way of gaining insight and wisdom. As written in Proverbs 8:11, 'for wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her.' and also in Psalm 119, the psalmist reminds us of the importance of studying God's precepts. These days so many resources are available to study the Bible. Find out what resources work best for you whether it is devotionals or sermons, it will enrich you and help you grow closer to God. Also, these words remain in your heart therefore you are able to stand strong in His promises.

4. Prayer Meetings

This can be done through church or organization or just you and your friends. It helps us to grow more in our faith. It is a great opportunity to meet new people. We are able to pray for each other who are in need. We are able to gain different perspectives regarding various topics and while studying the Bible. It is good to have people who hold you accountable when you are not going on the right track. They remind us to stay focused on God. We can together be witnesses to others.

5. Attend church

Now that we don't have parents to tell us to go to church, we start to become lazy to wake up early in the morning. But the church is a great tool to recharge our spiritual battery as told by my Sunday school teacher. It reminds us to stay connected to God and give us the food which is the Word of God and energy to prepare for the next week. It helps us to build fellowship with another. We all have stories where small introductions lead to invitations and remind us of our own home. Soon they become like family to us. It also helps us to stay grounded and sharpen our faith.

6. Be bold

One thing I never was is being bold in my faith. You will be in circumstances where your faith will be put into question and contradicts it but don't be afraid to stand up for what you believe which is God, Actin accordingly that reflects a Christ-like attitude because whatever we do, we do it for the glory of God. Our Father. We need to be like the tree that's planted by the waterside that shall not be moved. The faith that stands strong like the house that was built on a rock.

All of these are simple habits that can make a huge impact on your life. What you do now is something that you carry into your adulthood which is then shared with future generations. So, these are all some methods that you can incorporate into your life. There are many more but let's begin here. Let us make that decision of following God and putting Him first today. God bless.