Over the past four weeks, I have been able to participate in a Bible study that centered around one topic; misconceptions of faith. Together, we tackled challenging misconceptions that many college students face when it comes to their faith.
College is said to be a time where we find ourselves, but no one ever mentions how hard it is to find God. College students today forget to take the time to really devote themselves to Christ, or even so simply as to get to know Him. One misconception that was discussed was that following Jesus won’t be fun.
We have this incorrect view of God and what it means to follow Christ. If you had asked me a year ago about what becoming a follower of Christ meant, I would tell you as though it were a list of chores. Go to church, read the Bible, pray every day, follow the Ten Commandments, I mean, I could go on. While all this is great and part of our duty as Christians, this is not what God seeks from us. So, you’re probably wondering, what does God want from us?
A relationship; God wants a relationship with us. In 1 John 4:19, the apostle John says, “we love because He first loved us.” God always loves us; sinful or unwilling, that is the one thing that never changes about Him. God’s undying, eternal love for us was put on display through Christ’s sacrifice. By dying on the cross and hanging for our sins and the sins to come, we are shown what a powerful love He truly holds.
So, what is holding us back from loving Christ? You’re going through the motions of being a Christian but are you faithfully living in Christ? We get so focused on what we are doing right, that we block out the fact that we are still justifying our wrongs. We are holding ourselves back. Subconsciously we are aware of what we are doing, yet we let it consume us. You start to think, well God won’t accept me or love me now, so what could I possibly do to become right with Him?
God isn’t out for us to “get right” with Him, but merely that if we know our wrongdoings and own them in the sight of God, He will guide us. At the end of the day, God’s grace will save us. We are not the first nor last to sin. In Romans 3:23, it says, “for all have sinned and fall short of glory of God.” No one is perfect, if we all were, we’d be Jesus. Yet, with all this baggage that we carry, God continually loves us and fights for us. That is because God is always good!
But, knowing and trusting are two different things. We’ve heard all the talk of the wonderful love of God, yet, are we so prepared to trust it? “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight (Proverbs 3:5-6).” We must trust in the Lord and give Him our all to gain such a love that is immeasurable and that no words can describe.
If your obstacle is believing that He is always there for us, through the good and the bad, remember this verse:
“For the Lord will not cast off His people, nor will He forsake His inheritance.” Psalm 94:14.
Find people who will grow in your faith with you and trust in the Lord, because He is miraculous in all His ways.
(Thank you to the staff and students in Aggie StuMo for guiding me along my journey in Christ. I am continually growing and have gained a confidence in my faith that is incomparable thanks to you.)
