Attending a Christian University has been one of the most amazing and eye opening experiences and I'm so thankful to be able to go to school here. But not for the reasons you might think. Yes, I love that we have chapel, and a theology department, and professors that are open about their faith and will pray before class, but what I love most about this school is that it's taught me what real life is like.

In high school, I never faced adversity in my faith. I was always surrounded by the same supportive friends and family that shared the same beliefs as me. When I got to college, not only did everyone around me have conflicting beliefs about religion, but they even questioned me about mine. I had never experienced the skeptical look on someone's face as I told them that I was a Christian. As I kept having these encounters, I became very discouraged and even thought that maybe Campbellsville wasn't the place for me. But then I read Jefferson Bethke's book called Jesus>Religion and WOW, am I thankful for that guy. I had been so confused as to how anyone could reject a savior that loves you unconditionally and will literally never give up on you, no matter how many times you mess up. Or why anyone would reject a Redeemer that would take any heartbreak or any failure and not only wash you clean of it but then turn it into something absolutely beautiful. Who doesn't want to be part of something like that???

I have heard so many people say they don't like Christianity because the church has hurt them or other people who claim to be Christians have back stabbed them, and I am so sorry if this has ever happened to you. But to find true Christianity you have to look to the bible, not to other Christians. In Bethke's book, he made a point that the reason people are so unwilling to take part in Christianity is because they see it as just that: Christianity, a religion that has rules and says you can't do certain things if you want to get to heaven. Well, guess what....Christianity is so much more than just a religion. Having an actual relationship with Jesus is so much more than just going to church on Sundays and reading the bible is so much more than learning about all the rules you have to follow to be thought of as a good person. When you get to the end of your life and you're standing before Jesus he's not going to ask "Did you ever drink alcohol?" or "Did you ever have sex before marriage?" or "Did you ever commit any sin that I specifically told you in the bible not to?" NO!!!! He's simply going to have two questions for you: "Did you love Me and did you love people?" Our God is a God of compassion and unconditional love. Every time I hear or say that I'm in awe because can you imagine having a completely unconditional love for someone? Nothing they could ever do would ever make you think twice about giving your life up for them? Well, that's the kind of love God offers to us, even though we continually sin and continually mess up.

So the next time you talk with someone who has been defeated by the religion part of Christianity, try to introduce them to the part that actually matters: Jesus.