College is a new adventure to begin with, and is hard in more ways than one. You have to learn time management, face new challenges, make new friends, and keep good grades! As college students, we experience so many different things in such a short time. We don't always realize that some of those things are not the priority. Because of this, we get drained and start to feel burned out. We experience loneliness, stress, and worry so often. Yes, we have supportive friends and family who encourage us daily, but sometimes it just is not enough. At least for me anyways.
I've experienced a lot of setbacks and loss throughout my college years, but God has truly shown me favor and has given me the opportunity and ability to get through it all. He challenges me to grow and overcome every obstacle that I have had. And while I have my amazing family and friends to help me through the day, no one encourages me like God does. He has given us encouraging words and advice and I try to use them as much as I can. I know that these help me, and I hope that they can be some help to you also!
Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
When I am feeling stressed about anything going on in my life this verse gives me hope! God wants us to succeed. I know that through faith, my life cannot go wrong. Do bad things happen? Of course, but that does not mean that your life will not go according to plan in the end.
Romans 12:12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
You're going to go through a lot in college. You will feel lost sometimes, but that is okay. Pray through the good and the bad! A big weight is taken off my shoulders when I am praying about what is going on in my life. I know that it will work itself out, but I have to be faithful.
Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.
God gives us assurance throughout our lives, and I am so grateful or it. We are wrong about so many things. But what we don't know and understand, God does!
Philippians 4:13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
You can do anything you set your mind to. And if God leads you to it, he'll lead you through it. And I know that it is hard to believe sometimes, but it is true. You just have to keep pushing and keep your faith. If you pray about it and truly believe that God will get you through it, he will!
Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
When people look at my life, I want them to see God in me. I absolutely love God. I am working to better myself through him and I know that because of this, my life will be full of love and joy, and the rewards will be exponential. We all have been called to live according to God's purpose, even if we don't exactly know what that is.
1 Timothy 4:12 Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.
You may not feel like you are old enough to make a difference. But God doesn't care how old we are and he knows that we can be a leader for others, regardless of our age. You matter so much more than you think. Never let anyone older than you look down on you or belittle you because of your age.You can make a difference, and it doesn't matter if you're 18 or 30!
