Almost all Christians in undergrad know the struggles of walking with Christ in college.
Attend the weekly services at the on-campus church organization, known at Francis Marion as Baptist Collegiate Ministries (BCM), or to study for a hard test tomorrow? Go to church on Sunday, or cherish that extra hour of sleep you didn't get during the week? Step away from sin, or dive head first because "I'm just trying to have a good time in college"?
This article is not meant to call anyone out. I am just as guilty of these things, and I do them more than I should.
The thing is though, there's a simple answer.
Your relationship with God is just that: a relationship. If you treat God like He's another one of your friends, it'll come easy.
Talking to Him is much easier than we make it out to be. It's just like talking to a friend, or a conversation with your earthly father. Saying "Lord Almighty" or "Father God" 10 times sounds a bit weird when you substitute for "Dan", right? Just taking a few minutes out of your day to tell God about your day is one of the easiest ways to walk with Christ every day. God doesn't expect you to lay down an hour out of your day when you've given five seconds the day before. He loves you so much, even a minute of your time is another minute He has with His beloved Creation.
Another thing we so often forget is that when ask for forgiveness, it is fulfilled. Jesus didn't die on the cross for us to shun our forgiveness. We act like we're not good enough, that we've sinned too much to be any good to do Christ's work. That's the thing, though: God uses the broken. The people I consider to be living vessels of the Lord have been beaten down again and again by life and get back up again because they know that God forgives them. God forgives you; He has already forgiven you. He gave up His precious child to be slain on the cross so that you and I can receive forgiveness and return to Him. #1 Dad for sure.
God, I'm still here. I am reminded in the dark times that you are here, but I so often forget to be here as well. I tell people that I pray for them when I don't. I tell people that I'm a Christian, but I don't act like it. Often times I take the easy road, because I don't want to try. But then, I see people taking the hard road and succeeding, and I want to try. But, sometimes trying isn't enough. I need your help. I need forgiveness.
That is why salvation exists, and God walks and talks through earthly vessels. He reminds us of our Bible discarded on our shelf. He reminds us that we can make it to BCM or Sunday morning church if we tried harder.
Most of all, He is here, waiting for when we are here too.
