College is a period of self-discovery.
You are now living your life on your own terms. If you are like me, you lived in a house where going to church was a weekly routine. There were weeks where I took something away from it, and there were weeks where I thought about what I was going to eat for lunch the whole time. Now that you are on your own, like me, you do not have people telling you when to go church, or maybe for some of you it was not a part of your life to go.
With this being said, as life goes, it is a balancing act.
You do not have to post on social media to prove your relationship with God.
Whilst in church, I would always look in awe upon people who felt so moved they could stand up and raise a hand and cast their faith vocally in front of a whole congregation. Now, while as shameless and brave that is to do, it is okay to keep to yourself about your faith. Quoting a Bible verse on a picture on Instagram or Facebook does not speak about your relationship with God. I have always been one to keep to myself about it, as my time with God is personal and a nice escape from the realities of life. With that being said, do not worry about making your faith life a public display. If you feel more comfortable keeping it to yourself, there is nothing wrong with that (and I am right there with you).
Find a method that works for you.
Sometimes this means going to a new church or maybe just even starting to go to church. You are now in charge of how much you want your faith as a part of your life. Treat your faith life as a fitness routine, and going to college is a fresh start. Sometimes this means trying out a different place to go to church or praying more regularly. Take the time to discover and engage this portion of your life.
Pray even when things are going well.
If you have never really been an attender of church services, it may be nice to ease your way into it by beginning to pray on routine. So often we run to God when things are going wrong. But how often is it that we turn to him are going right? It is easy to ask God for help when it seems like nothing is going our way. But sometimes it is important to pray for the things that make our life more simple and pleasurable.
It is okay if you do not always feel completely confident in your faith.
You are growing up, and it's okay if you do not always feel confident in your faith. Religion is meant to challenge you. Allow yourself to find God in the good around you. And be patient about your answers, as you are not going to get them all at once.
Count your blessings.
More often than not, it is easy to become entranced by negativity. Even when life is hard, try to count the blessings in your life. Instead of thinking about everything that is working against you, take the time to look at all the people who are working for you. Our models of faith often times come from the people who we hold closest to our hearts. Take a minute to just think about how life, even on its worst days, has a silver lining. With this being said, show the big man upstairs some appreciation for putting them in your life.
Now I am no expert, as I am still discovering my own faith. But as you grow up, allow your faith to grow with you, and take the time to discover this area as your life.
"The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps." (Proverbs 16:9)
