As a college student, it can be tough to make time for all the important aspects of your life. Balancing school, family, a social life, work, and extracurriculars can be so demanding that finding time to get further involved in your faith can seem like an overwhelming burden. Having a solid faith foundation can be life-changing, however, and can help eliminate stress and give your life meaning.
Here are 10 simple ways to deepen your faith in your everyday life!
1. Find a church buddy
Going to church can easily become something we say we're going to do but when it actually comes down to it, staying home or sleeping in is an easier option. Whether it be a family member or friend, having someone to go to church with you and hold you accountable can be really motivating and more fun!
2. Read Scripture
Read Scripture is my favorite faith-related app. It's run by a non-profit called "The Bible Project" that makes videos about themes and chapters of the Bible in a way that's simple and easy to understand. They also have a variety of Bible reading plans and study guides for different chapters.
3. Read a Bible verse in the morning
Starting out your day with prayer can be really refreshing and help to get your morning started on the right foot. Websites like verseoftheday.com and others have a daily Bible verse you can read with a short reflection. Reading something that resonates with you early in the day makes you feel motivated and accomplished, and helps you grow closer to God.
4. Read a chapter of one of the Gospels every day
Sometimes knowing exactly who God is can be confusing, but luckily he revealed himself to us in the person of Jesus Christ. All of the accounts of Jesus on Earth are in the four Gospels in the New Testament, so starting off by reading these can give you a good glimpse into who God is, and it is a solid place to start if you're intimidated by the Bible.
5. Incorporates your interests into your faith life
Faith can seem distant and uninteresting to some, but a key to developing a sold faith life is to use your interests and passions to deepen your motivation to learn more about God. Whether that means finding new Christian music on Spotify, reading interesting books about God or people involved in their faith, or something else, finding faith-related activities or interests that you enjoy can give your faith a new meaning in your life.
6. Let go of past guilt
In order to fully embrace developing a relationship with God, it's imperative to let go of the idea of guilt. For me personally, I never got involved with my faith for a while because every time I would mess up, forget to go to church or pray, or do something I knew I shouldn't, I would become discouraged and not feel worthy to have a relationship with Jesus. It was so encouraging to find out that it's quite the opposite! Jesus literally said, "I have come not to call the righteous but sinners" (Mark 2:17). Sinning does not define you, and slipping up sometimes is part of human nature and should never discourage you from diving deeper into your faith.
7. Talk to God every day in a way that feels right to you
Praying as often as you can is a great way to deepen your relationship with Jesus. A big misconception, however, is that this has to be through speaking or praying internally to God. I express myself more clearly through writing, for example, so when I pray I write to God on my laptop or phone. Listening to music, meditating, reading, drawing, or speaking to God are all great ways to pray.
8. Listen to God
Equally as important as praying to God is listening to God. Another misconception is that this means listening for God to speak literal words to you or send you an obvious sign, because that's not what happens 99% of the time. Listening to God is usually just noticing how God is present in your everyday life, whether that be through friends, in nature, in a meaningful movie you just watched, or anything else. The more you begin to look for God in the everyday, the more you'll feel his presence in your life.
9. Find a church you connect to
Attending a church service on Sunday helps fuel you up for the rest of the week, and gives you practical ways to incorporate faith in your everyday life. To deepen your faith, its important to find a church that resonates with you, no matter what denomination that may be. Church can vary so much depending on the type of service or Christian denomination, so trying out different churches is a good way to find out what's right for your faith.
10. Find role models for your faith life
Finding Christians who inspire you and who practice what they preach is a good way to make you feel inspired, and gives you something to look up to. This can be anything from a friend, a celebrity, or anyone else whose faith life inspires you. My grandma, Bethany Hamilton, Jess and Gabriel Conte, and my youth minister are just some people whose faith motivates me in my life.
