Being A Christian College Student
As a sociology major, I had heard it all a fewmonths in: God exists, God doesnt exist, we find God in ourselves, there aremany gods, faith is imaginary, religion causes wars, religious people areclose-minded, religious people are humanitys only hopeI was absorbing itall with an impressionable mind. Who was right? Although I knew in my heart everything I learned as a Christian, thevoices of young passionate students are anything but easy to ignore.
There was also the question of worldly vices.Everyone was experimenting and looking for ways to ease the stress of schoolwork. Oftentimes after study groups, my classmates would invite me out for adrink before heading home. I was never a drinker, so it was easy for me todecline. But I admit there were times our discussions and banter were so fun Iwished I could extend the night by hanging out longer.
I was part of such a strange world whereeveryone argue constructively during the day and hung out and had fun together at night.
Make Sure Your Best Friends Love Jesus
Who are you spending time with and why? Are they leading you to Christ or away from him? Are they good influences?
Many claim to follow Christ, but live as the world lives. Follow 2 Timothy 2:22s exhortation: Flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.
What does it mean to pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace with other believers? Seek God together. Read the Bible together. Pray together. Wake up at 6am and seek the Lord through prayer and meditation on the Word together. You will grow deep friendships and rejoice together in how the Lord is changing you.
Get Involved In A Church
Going to a campus ministry or attending a Christian school can be great for your faith, but they are not enough . The gospel of Jesus is bigger than you and your friends who are just like you it encompasses people of all ages, ethnicities, languages, and nations. The church not a campus ministry is home-base for the Christian.
Escape the artificial bubble you live in and enter the real world by getting to know people in your church. You might be surprised how your appreciation of Christ deepens as you see faithful believers enduring hardship, serving others with their gifts, and shining the light of Christ in the world.
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Staying Close To God While Incollege
My refuge was in theonly thing that was familiar in an unfamiliar place: the Church. While ittook me a while to feel comfortable, my new community of Church members becamemy home away from home.
Twice a week, I knew Ihad a standing appointment to attendworship service, which helped ease intomy new life away from home. They will probably never truly know how much theyhelped me. In addition to providing emotional support, they gave me a sense offamily, and they never failed to remind me that God should never be pushedaside, no matter the circumstance.
But this is noteveryones story. I know many of my peers didnt fare as well. Even some of myclassmates admitted to losing faith in college. They confessed to me that theirnew surroundings didnt inspire the same religious mindset that they wereused to.
> > why Cant I Just Have A Good Time In College Read Billy Grahams Answer
Try several different organizations if you need to, and dont worry if it takes a while to fit in, Budziszewski writes. Students may not be comfortable on their first or second visit but the more they participate, the quicker theyll feel at home.
If students dont click with everyone at first, thats OK. Its normal to like some personalities more than others.
- Take on a leadership role. Its a great way to meet people and use your passion for Christ to help them grow.
- Help with a summer project. Choose a short-term mission trip or one that will keep you traveling around a couple of months. Stay in the U.S. or go abroad. Serve God and experience new places with like-minded friends.
- Find a real church. Its important to attend church in addition to joining a campus organization. Ask older students in your group for suggestions, and make plans to go with a friend. Some churches may offer a shuttle from campus.
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So Why Do Christian Students Losetheir Faith In College
According to a LifeWay survey, 66% of Americans between 23 and 30 years old said theystopped attending church on a regular basis for at least a year after turning18. Other studies say many attribute this loss ofreligion to having a new college experience separate from their family home.Many lose track and simply dont find attending church important anymore.
How can you make sure that your faith staysintact when you embark on a new stage in life?
Immerse Yourself In Good Literature
In addition to reading the Bible, it is important to fill your head with godly literature. Many world-renowned preachers and teachers will attest to having a library of books that changed and transformed their lives. It is never too early to start building your own personal library!
A few recommended works are Confessions and J.I. Packers Knowing God. Also C.S. Lewis Mere Christianity, Rick Warrens The Purpose Driven Life, Francis Chans Crazy Love, and Max Lucados Just Like Jesus are a few added helpful books.
Without a doubt, college is full of ups and downs: academic, emotional, and spiritual. However, by committing to these habits and trusting in Gods promises and His faithfulness, the next four years may prove to be truly life-changing in the development of your faith.
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How To Maintain Your Faith In College
College is a time of exploration, and for Christian students, a time to determine what faith means to you. Here’s how you can maintain your faith on any campus.
CollegeXpress Student Writer, Anderson University
The transition from high school to college and from college to career is challenging for everyone, but for people of faith, theres an extra hurdle. Its in these college years that we have to delve into what our faith truly means to usnot just what it is to our parents. Heading to college may be the first time in your life that you have complete control, and that includes how you choose to practice your religion. No one is going to wake you up for church on Sunday mornings anymore, or police your eating habits, or remind you to read sacred texts or spend time in prayer. Its all on you.
Quit Complaining About Busyness
I say this for two reasons:
If youre honestly too busy , its your own fault. Prune your schedule to leave margins, or you wont enjoy anything youre doing.
If youre the second person, dont stay up till 3am binge-watching TV and complain about being tired or busy the next day. Post-college lives are busy too, and students need to learn to use their time wisely.
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Surround Yourself With Good People
A good community of friends will act as a support system through encouragement and discipleship. It is important to find like-minded individuals who are committed to God and His Word so that you can keep each other accountable. Similar to a gym buddy, a church buddy will make it much easier to wake up on Sunday mornings to go to church.
Be Open To Doubt And Explore Your Faith
Going to college will likely test your faith and force you to determine for yourself what you believe. While this can be a difficult and somewhat painful process, you dont have to give up on your faith just because youre experiencing some doubts. According to Miguel de Unamunoa Spanish novelist, philosopher, professor, and moreFaith which does not doubt is dead faith. Embracing your doubts and digging into what youre unsure about can make your faith stronger than ever before. And dont be afraid to talk to a religious leader or mentor about what youre going through they likely were in the same place once and can reassure you and provide you with resources to explore your beliefs and those of your churchs more thoroughly. When you accept your doubts and eventually come to terms with them, youll be setting yourself up for a healthier faith journey throughout your life.
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Continuing to practice your faith while in college can seem daunting, but prioritizing it in your daily life and finding a community of believers can help strengthen your resolve as you explore and grow deeper in your faith.
For more advice on exploring your faith and living a religious life in college, check out our Christian Colleges and Universities section.
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How To Stay Christian At College: Three Timeless Truths
It has never been easy to be a college student. You face pressure from every side to answer the perennial question: So, what are you going to do with the rest of your life? Thats not to mention the social stressors of figuring out where you belong, and perhaps of being away from home for the first time. Your years at university can be thrilling, yes, but they can also be daunting.
In addition to all the challenges of self-discovery and finding your footing in Gods world, for many, college comes with threats to the core principle of education itself. No longer is the free exchange of ideas and unhindered dialogue universally accepted rather, students are often expected to walk carefully along lines of tolerance and agreement. As Michael Kruger points out, ours is an era in which disagreement is the same as disrespect in most peoples eyes.
So what is a Christian college student to doespecially at a secular institution?
Beyond that, you can and should go further up and into the core truths of the Christian faith. As Kruger writes, Good theology matters. A believer with a solid theological foundation is able to handle these difficult questions better than a person who has a shallow understanding of the Christian faith. With that in mind, here are three simple yet profound reminders.
Be In The Word Every Day
Although it seems obvious, another important thing that a student can do is be in the Word daily. Reading the Bible should not be a passive activityyou must think critically about what you read. By reading Gods Word and meditating on it, you can apply it to your life and allow the Word to reshape your thoughts, actions, and behaviors.
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Work Hard And Trust God For Your Future
Dont worry about your future work hard, and entrust it to God. Most people dont graduate to their dream job, and many dont know what they want to do with their lives 10 years after graduating, and thats fine. Let the promise in Proverbs 3:5-6 encourage your heart: Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
Dont Be Afraid To Ask For Help If Youre Struggling
A new context can present new struggles. If you find yourself struggling with depression, anxiety, pornography , eating disorders, your faith, technology addiction, or anything else, seek help. Getting help is a sign of strength, not weakness.
We all struggle with a number of things and need the body of Christ to help us apply the healing power of the gospel to our situation. Getting help sooner rather than later will keep an issue from causing more damage.
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> > if Christianity Is True Why Doesnt Everyone Believe Read Billy Grahams Response
A professor himself, Budziszewski warns that professors might patronize Christianity or imply the Christian faith is historically inaccurate.
In response, ask your professor to explain his or her statement. Dont be afraid to respond, but be respectful and, most of all, be confident in what you know to be true.
Keep A Daily Prayer Life
It is so important that students make time every single day to pray to God. I dont mean a quick prayer while driving to class. I mean a time set aside where they are alone in their room with no distractions. How He Loves by David Crowder starts off with the line He is jealous for me. Amen! He is! When you are spending time with Him in prayer you are telling God, I love You! I need to hear Your voice. Here are 3 verses from James to encourage us all to stay in prayer:
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Dont Get Buried In Debt
College is crazy expensive, but it doesnt have to be. Reduce your costs by getting creative:
- Apply to several schools, and see which gives you the best financial aid package.
- Take a year or two at a community school.
- Live with your parents or relatives.
- Take off a semester or more.
- Get a job.
I had at least seven on-campus jobs in college: I worked in the call center, served as an RA, worked in the dining commons, and even made decent money as the dorm garbage man. Tame your spending on extra things like trips, entertainment, eating out, parties, etc. For some, the smartest move might be skipping college and entering a trade. This not only reduces debt, but you might make more money in the end with some experience under your belt.
Value Your Education But Dont Overvalue It
Contrary to what I always used to say, classes do not get in the way of your college experiencethey are the purpose of it! Get off of social media in class and do your reading. Be serious about your studies and future career prospects. Ask those older than you for recommended professors and classes so you avoid duds. If you dont care about your education, you probably shouldnt be in schoolyou could be wasting tens of thousands of dollars and years of your life.
While you should value your education, it isnt everything. Dont make your education the reason you live and breathe. Yes, get good grades, make memories, live wisely in all you do. But life goes on after college, and it is better for many reasons.
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Staying Christian In Collegepart 1
Each summer the Billy Graham Library and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association welcome a group of interns from universities and colleges across the U.S. Over the next few days we will be sharing three posts from some of this summers interns about how to stay Christian in college. We hope that their experiences will encourage the young men and women in your life who are preparing to embark on their own college journey. Please join us in encouraging the Library and BGEA interns and praying for them as they spend their last few weeks in Charlotte before heading back to school or off to the real world.
Todays post is from Alyssa B. who is serving this summer as the promotions intern at the Billy Graham Library.
As a special encouragement for graduates, receive a free copy How to Stay christian in College by J. Budziszewski when a newly graduated student or parents of the student visit the Library . Check in at the Guest Services counter at the Billy Graham Library when you arrive for your free gift!
Previous Post:
Your Most Important Homework
Heart-work, said Puritan great John Flavel, is the one great business of a Christians life. If you are a Christian, your most important homework is heart-work. The life of the student is cognitively demanding, but we should relentlessly labor to make our mind-work serve our heart-work.
And we do so, not leaning on our own understanding and resources, but with the wind of the Holy Spirit in our sails. Staying Christian in college, seminary, or any other season of life means expending energy to keep yourselves in the love of God . And that is the very thing he stands ready to do for and through us: Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling .
Seminary can be thrilling, with the potential to inspire and equip church leaders for a lifetime of faithful ministry. But its not without its risks. For many who have ignored the perils, seminary has been crippling.
How to Stay Christian in Seminary takes a refreshingly honest look at the seminarians often-neglected devotional life, offering real-world advice for students eager to survive seminary with a flourishing faith.
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Take Care Of Your Body
The freshman 15 is not a myth for many students. You need to take care of your body now that you no longer have gym class or high school sports to do it for you.
Eat as healthy as you can, watch your portion sizes, exercise regularly, and you should be in good shape . If I could hop in a DeLorean and tell my college-self one thing on this point, it would be to control my portions in the all-you-can-eat mayhem of the dining commons.
You Are Training In The Academy Of Gods Providence
When those around you are smitten with existentialism, taken in by nihilism, or perhaps given over to hedonism, you as a believer must embrace the truth that God has not abandoned the world that He has made. Perhaps more poignantly, He has not abandoned you. Rather, He is working within His creationincluding in you, in this momentto manage everything according to His plan.
In this vein, Romans 8:28 is another important text for college students: We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. Thats all things. Your bloated syllabi? Yes. The lecture with obvious contempt for Christianity and all things associated with it? You bet. Your doubts? Yes, even these. If God holds your times in His hands, then any challenge you experience is no surprise to Himnot in the slightest.
When you encounter the worlds antagonism toward and contempt for the truth of the Gospelin educational settings or otherwiseyoull likely feel that you are being tossed to and fro by the waves . Be encouraged that the God whom even the winds and waves obey is also sovereign over your life. Whatever the world may throw at you, be persistent to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ . There is no greater aim for Gods people.
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