Pursuing Jesus in college is difficult, but it is worth every hardship. You are not alone in this journey. There will be other Christians on your campus, you just have to find them! Here are 7 ways to pursue Jesus during this time of transitioning to college:
- Get to know Jesus by reading the Bible. I grew up going to church, but I did not know how important the Bible was until college. I thought it was just an old book that had no meaning to my life. I was so so wrong. The only way to get to know someone is to spend time with them, so spend time with God by reading His Word.
- Write down your questions. All of them. Going into college, I had a lot of questions. I was always told pre-marital sex was wrong, but I did not know why. I was told I shouldn’t get drunk, but I thought that was just a safety precaution. Some Christians believe you should never have questions, but I believe that if you ask questions and seek the answer your faith will grow stronger. It is challenging and sometimes impossible to believe something just because you are told, so write down your questions.
- Find the answers to your own questions. Turn to the Bible to figure out why you are told not to do things and why you believe what you believe. Look through scripture to find the answers to your questions. If you are unsure where to find the answers, or have found scripture but still are confused, talk to an older and wiser Christian. Tell them your questions and the doubts you have. Tell them which verses you do not understand. And pray for wisdom. Pray that God will help you understand.
- Plan time with God into your schedule. As a freshman, you will be busier than you ever were before. You will have classes, homework, new clubs to try, new friends to meet, and it can be easy to forget about God. Planning time with God into your planner will help you to not forget about Him.
- Find a Christ centered church. God does not want you to do life alone. Being a part of a church community is huge! You’ll meet people from all walks of life, and they will teach you more than you thought possible.
- Find Christian friends and a community. You can find this in your church or in a college ministry. I joined Cru my freshman year and made friends who love Jesus. Having authentic Christian friends is very helpful when you are in the college environment.
- Talk to God. Prayer is so important. Prayer protects the heart from impurity and pollution. There will be times when you feel alone in college. There will be times when you feel lost, confused, and question why you are a Christian. Tell this to God. Tell Him your worries, concerns, fears, everything!
I hope that this helps with your transition to college. This is the second post in the series, Transitioning to College While Keeping Your Faith. Check back weekly for more posts about our faith in college.
And bonus question, where was the above photo taken? Hint: Go Bulls!
For more posts about being a Christian in college, click here!
Join me in finding joy in the journey.
Related Posts
6 Comments on 7 Ways to Pursue Jesus in College
4Pingbacks & Trackbacks on 7 Ways to Pursue Jesus in College
-
[…] Here is the first post in the series: 7 Ways to Pursue Jesus in College […]
-
[…] featured post from last week 7 Ways to Pursue Jesus in College deals with the issue of keeping the faith while pursuing higher education. Author Joy Skarka knows […]
-
[…] 7 Ways to Pursue Jesus in College […]
-
[…] 7 Ways to Pursue Jesus in College […]
HotTeaAndTheEmptySeat
at (10 years ago)Love your thoughts here! This will be great to show my little brother who is starting his freshman year of college this month! I agree with all of your points, especially #6. The people you hang around have such a big impact on your walk! Blessings, friend!
-Katie
http://www.hotteaandtheemptyseat.com
Joy Skarka
at (10 years ago)Thanks Katie! Glad you stopped by my blog! I hope it does help your brother. It can be so easy to slip away from God freshman year if you don’t make your faith your own. I’m sure your faith will impact his. =]