So, if you are a Christian in college fighting that fight alone God see’s you, he is pleased with you and I feel for your struggle. It can be more than challenging at times, but far from impossible. Pushing through the inconvenience and trials is overwhelmingly worth the fight. I urge you with every ounce of faith in my body to never give up, to never give in and hold on to God like it’s the last thing you have on this planet. Here are five strategies to help your journey:

1. Find an accountability partner.

Being a Christian in college can be challenging. Let’s be honest here, we all know what goes down, the temptation, lust, that swarm over college students. Attempting to live for God while facing all these darts being thrown at you can be tiring but having someone there with you fighting the same fight can help ease a little stress. Along with helping you manage your stressors, an accountability partner will also help keep you on the right path! An accountability partner is a Christian generally of the same sex as you, that you can lean on when you feel weak, they are there to help slap you back in place and provide that honesty that we sometimes all need!

2. Learn the art of saying no!

Yes! Sometimes..most of the time the club may look fun. Yes! Your friends may only have you there for “5 minutes”. Yes! It’s just may be “one cup” , “one night”, or “one slip up”; but is it worth your right standing in Christ? Is it worth ruining your witness, or is it worth the mental war that may arise after the fact? It is extremely important to protect your relationship with God, to continuingly be “The Salt of the earth”(Matthew 5:13-14). Proverbs 4:23 states “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” When we willingly dive back into bad habits and sin, we are reopening doors and creating new ones for not just the enemy but all of his minions to come and wreak havoc in our hearts and in our lives. I want you to remember that the God we serve is a forgiving, loving and sovereign God. We are not to test him by any means, but if we do give into temptation the power of genuine repentance will be our most praised weapon against the attacks of the enemy.

3. Grow in Discipline.

Discipline as a Christian is very important! You may be reading this like “How sway!?, How do I grow in discipline when I don’t even have it to begin with!?” Well you do have it! The God we serve wouldn’t just throw us out in this world unprepared. 2 Timothy 1:7 states “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love and self-discipline.” Discipline is a fruit of the spirit and God has given us all of those fruits.. it’s just our jobs to use them and further develop them through Him. For example, when you workout your body consistently you begin to see change and the same thing happens with you spiritually. You can grow your spiritual muscles by spending time alone in the Word, praying, fasting, and most importantly serving God and His people. Start off small, set a goal or two in an area that you desire to be more discipline in and ask God for help, and lean on Him to accomplish these goals. . You can and you will do it!

4. You are building a relationship not running a race (with other Christians).

It is critical for you to understand that your walk with God is NOT a race or competition with other Christians. New or old in Christ, don’t trip yourself up comparing yourself to someone who is not Jesus. As Christians we sometimes do this a lot. We often find someone who appears to have it all together and base everything we do off of them and completely disregard the Holy Spirit and everything He is trying to tell us. Your goal is to build your own tailor made relationship with God. Fix your focus solely on Christ and allow Him to heal you, to mold you and prepare you. He can only do that if you are ready to give Him all of your attention. Since this is not a race, don’t treat yourself harshly if you do not succeed at everything. Growth takes time and patience. Love on yourself; it’s a process, you have to crawl before you can walk.

5. Don’t forget how big God actually is.

Sometimes when I feel extremely overwhelmed I just look up. I often forget to look up at the sky, to look at everything God created; it is a gentle reminder to myself of how small I am compared to God and that He can handle everything. There is no problem you possess, no sin you are carrying, no secret you are burying that is too big for God to handle. Our God can strike down nations, move mountains, stop the sun, flood the earth in the blink of an eye.. There is nothing you can hide from him and there is no mess he can not rescue you from. If you forgot, I just want to remind you… God loves you.

My prayer to you is that these five strategies may help you overcome whatever you are facing now. Being a Christian in college is not easy but far from impossible. Continue to be unashamed by your love of Christ and continue to be a light for your campus. May God keep blessing all you do.

With love,