Let me start off by saying, I feel you, dude. Honestly, I feel like this applies to most college Christians, except for the limited few who are always on their A-game for Jesus. And in that case, serious props to y'all- please teach me your ways.

Anyways, I feel like in college, most people who are pursuing Jesus instead of other things, often find themselves torn between what they want to do and what they should do.

Let's be real - following Jesus means up giving a lot of things. And a lot of those things are things maybe everyone around you is doing. Which obviously makes not doing those things 100 percent harder than they naturally should be. Yet, it always works out because we all know Jesus works things out for our own benefit every time. The benefit is always greater than that temporary satisfaction we were seeking after in the first place. So, truly I rather have the Lord take these things away from me before hand, rather than I get myself into a hard situation later on.

We all know things are a lot easier said than done. Obviously, we can say we aren't gonna go that party we got invited to on Friday night. But come Friday night, ultimately we have the choice to decide if we are gonna hold ourselves to not going, or end up going cause everyone else is. Don't get me wrong, I like to have a good time. Everyone does. Also, everything in moderation. I know personally, no matter how much I convince myself to stay true to myself when I am in that situation, sometimes that doesn't always happen. I will get to that party, or whatever I am doing and it is kind of like a switch flips in my brain, and I don't even remember the promises I made not only to myself but to God. And I really hate that.

I find myself caught in who I am trying to be and who I actually am.

I kinda think of it like this - I am a puzzle piece trying to fit myself into a section of a puzzle that won't fit right. And no matter how hard I press down or change the angle, it just won't work. And there is only one reason why - it's because that certain piece is not meant for that particular area. There are some things that are just not meant for us, and God meant for it to be that way. But He also meant for the things that are for us, He will not let pass us.

And I feel like a lot of us fear these situations, so we just never put ourselves in them. Which once again, I seriously applaud you if you can do that and I wish I could be more like you for real. But honestly, I've messed up one too many times and I'll admit it. Yet the Lord has caught me with His grace every time. Which I do not deserve, but for that reason alone - that I don't deserve it - that is grace. We can't earn something that is free because He has already paid for it. I've realized that if the roots are planted deep, we have no reason to fear the wind.

Our worst battle is between what we know and what we feel, that is no doubt. What really matters is how we handle it. I have to take a step back every time as seriously think if the Lord would be pleased with what I am doing. And 9 times out of 10, I have a change of heart. Because what child doesn't want to please their Father? Our own strength fails us every time, but His never does.

A Minor setback is an exquisite set up for a major come back. So when we mess up, it really is okay. Each morning He brings new promises to us. That mistake that you maybe made the night before - that was left in the dirt of the grave. In the long run, what we allow is what will continue. "But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me". 1 Timothy 4:17