Having been at college for around a month now, I am finally getting used to things. I remember when and where my classes take place, I understand the workload and work type, and I have even implemented some effective study methods. As nice all that sounds, I continue to encounter one problem. I still feel lonely.
As my college move-in date grew closer and closer, this was the only thing that really kept bothering me. I was afraid of moving away from home and being alone on campus, even though my university is no more than an hour away from home. Upon entering the first week here, I felt like so many of my fellow freshmen already had groups of friends formed, and that I was missing out or being left out. Any time I spent alone made me think and feel that I was not enough for the people around me. I felt that I was not beautiful enough, I was not funny enough, I was not talkative enough, and the list went on and on. I just could not get control of my thoughts, and it seemed as though the devil was so easily creeping into them. One day it became too much to handle, and I broke down in tears as I sat in my dorm.
Earlier that week, a girls’ Bible study had started in my dorm. Seeking prayer, because that was all I knew to do at that point, I asked one of my Bible study leaders to pray for me. She was eager to do so and asked if she could meet up with me at Starbucks that afternoon. Not knowing what to expect, I tentatively agreed. She listened to me with honest concern and interest, and she offered plenty of good advice and Bible verses. The one thing, however, that stuck with me over the past few weeks is the following Bible verse:
“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you shall bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” ~Philippians 1:6, ESV
At first, I did not see much of a connection. As the days went on, I found myself looking at the verse more and more, searching for a connection. And I did not notice it until I sat down to type this, but I would find myself looking at this verse nearly every day, especially during the moments when I felt lonely. I finally saw what God was trying to say to me through the verse, and why my Bible study leader thought it was so important for me to hear...
Remember that Christ is not done with you yet. Whether you are a lonely freshman in college or maybe a lonely grandparent at home, remember whose you are and that you are created with a purpose. Philippians 1:6, along with other verses, serves as a reminder that God has started so many beautiful plans for each of our lives. God promises that He will meet, complete, and exceed His promises in Christ and in us. He promises completion. If you are still alive and breathing, God is not done with you yet; his promise has not yet been completed, and you have more for which to stick around. He has been creating and fulfilling a redemption story since the beginning of time; as part of that redemption story that has been going on for millions of years, do you really think God would just up and leave you now? No! God is going to stick with you for and through eternity, even past the point of death.
Whenever that feeling of loneliness seeps into my thoughts, I remember that verse, and I encourage you to do the same. All the pain, and even the joy, we experience is leading us to greater things. It is building the foundation of and preparing us for the plans and promises in our lives. God is not done with us, and He never will be. Believe in the good works because they will be completed.
