*Disclaimer: Most examples of or references to religion in this piece are of non-denominational Christianity because that is what I am, what I believe in and have the most knowledge in.
Leaving home and moving to college is a huge step for most people. You’ve lived with mum and dad controlling your every turn for the last 18+ years and now, you’re free! Well, at least for the most part.
If you grew up in a religious household—depending on your parents and your religion—they may have expressed some concerns that you’re going to lose your faith once you get to college. And in all honestly, their concerns are rather valid. You have to remember; they probably say this because they most likely experienced it themselves. They probably lost their way a little bit when they went to college too, especially if they went to a non-religious college.
It’s easy to get swept up in the official and unofficial activities college has to offer. It’s easy to tell yourself that you don’t have time for God anymore; that you don’t have time for church or reading your bible for twenty minutes or even just a two-minute devotional in the morning before class.
Not all of that is out of the question either. There’s just so much going on in college that trying to find a church or a bible study or something else along those lines can be difficult. It’s also very easy to get so caught up in homework and friends that your bible just ends up sitting in a corner of your desk, dusty and untouched.
And yes, I realize that some of the things we enjoy doing are against God’s will and His word. I understand that sinning is fun. If it wasn’t fun, we wouldn’t sin. It’s simple. And I’m not here to tell you what you can and cannot do, that is not my job. I am not here to judge you, I am not here to condemn you, that is not my job. I am here to love you, and try to help you if you want help. Because we all struggle with this. We all don’t want to stop having “fun” even though it may be considered a sin. We’re having fun! We’re enjoying live; we’re enjoying ourselves. We're young and in college. It's the time to have fun, and I understand that. We all understand that. But we also have to remember what God wants for us; He wants what is best for us. And what is best for us, is Him.
As someone who grew up in a Christian household that was always very involved in our church, I can say since I’ve been at college these last three months or so, I’ve missed my church and my community so much. It’s hard to suddenly be so separated from something like that; something that has become such a normality and a comfort. And while I haven’t found a church out here yet, there are other things I do to try do my best to keep my faith with me at all times and to try not to stray too far from God. And I don't always do them perfectly. I'll go days where I forget to read a single devotional or pray or anything. But that doesn't mean I fail or I'm an awful person, it's just something I need to work on.
One way you can try to keep your faith and your relationship with God strong is to find a devotional. Something that’s five minutes in the morning and five minutes at night; real simple. And if you do find a devotional you like, don’t beat yourself up whenever you miss one of the morning readings, or one of the nighttime readings. Or if you forget about it multiple days in a row. Just pick up the book, and do the devotional for that day. Don’t dwell so much on the fact that you forgot about it here or there. You're just going to make yourself feel awful and you're going to end up not reading any of the devotionals at all, for weeks or even months on end. One suggestion for a good morning and evening devotional is "Daily Light on the Daily Path."
Another way that’s a little more “obvious” I guess you could say, is to find a church in the area near your school and start going Sunday mornings. Though, this one may a bit harder to achieve for a multitude of reasons. Maybe there’s not a church that practices what you believe in close enough to campus that you could walk to (taking into account the possibility of not having a car). Or maybe you’ve tried a couple on for size and they just weren’t really want you were looking for. It’s okay. If for some reason, finding a church is just not working out for you, there are other ways to get in your daily dose of God.
You could start a bible study; or find a pre-existing one, maybe. Maybe a group of students at your university already have one up and running that you’d be welcome to join. Or maybe, there isn’t already one in place. Maybe you could be the one to start one. Find some students who all share the same beliefs as you. Put up some flyers in some really busy parts of school, or if you school has like a “student life” Facebook group where student can post things in the page, make a post there asking if anyone else would like to join or help you put it into action.
Or you could even just find a couple friends that believe what you believe. Find some friends who love God as much as you do. You’ll be able to talk about things that you might not fully feel comfortable talking about with other, non-religious friends you may have. Also, stay in contact with friends from church back home. When you’re feeling down or maybe having some spiritual warfare going on in your life, I’m sure they’ll be there to respond to your text and help you in whatever way they can.
Whatever ways you’re able to keep your faith; whether they be little or big, just keep doing them. They’ll help keep you in check. And remember, if you forget to do something, or you do something “bad,” it doesn’t mean God has stopped loving you. We all mess up from time to time. We all sin. We all make mistakes. That’s what makes us human. We are all children of God and He loves us all immensely; to no end. There’s nothing you can do that will make Him stop loving you, remember that.
