Coming to college, I was terrified of getting caught up in the lifestyle of living on my own, and of losing the connection to my faith that I had recently come back to. I had attended Catholic school for the majority of my life, and had always had people and friends pushing me in my faith. Frankly, I was surrounded by Christianity at all times. I was scared that because I no longer had my parents pushing me to go to church, and was attending a public university, I would lose that connection altogether.
I trusted in my relationship with God, but I prayed for a Christian community and friends that would push me to continue to grow in and learn about my faith.
Nine months later, I cannot even begin to tell you all the ways God has been faithful to me, and how He has proved His love over and over again through the community He has provided for me. My life has been flooded with friends who push me forward in my relationship with God. Through three different ministry groups, I have found a place where other college students are also attempting to be intentional in their relationships with God, and who are making it a priority to live out their faith. Seeing other kids my age being bold in their faith and making it the center of their lives was exactly what I needed to drive me in my own desire for a life like this.
Now, you may be asking yourself why someone would outwardly make this decision. Why someone would trap themselves in a religious group that takes away their freedom to live the life of a "normal" college student. The answer: I choose to live a life of virtue because of the undeniable joy that has come out of growing closer with God.
If any of you know me personally, you know that through middle school and the majority of high school, I struggled with positivity, and was probably the furthest thing from a Christian you could find. I complained all the time, had no hope in anything, and struggled to see the bright side of every situation. My life was spiraling fast, but I didn't know how to fix it on my own.
That's when I found God again. He found me at a time when life was not the greatest, when I was filled with doubt, and He took it all. He took the uncertainty, the negativity, and the sadness that I had been feeling for years with no explanation, and in turn, filled me with joy and relief that I had never experienced and cannot explain to this day. Without God, there is no way I would have been able to find my way to the joy that only He provides, and no way I could have overcome the demons I had been attempting fight on my own to no avail.
By giving my life to Jesus, I was given more freedom than even going to college could have given me. I was set free from the sting of darkness, and welcomed into the light with open arms. Because He died on the cross for my sin, I have the freedom to choose a life that tells of who He is, and the freedom to make it to Heaven with Him. How cool is that?! The God of the universe gave His only son for you and for me, because He wants us in Heaven with him THAT bad.
So, to answer my the originally posed question: yes, being Christian confines me to acting and living in a certain manner, but I am more fulfilled by this life of purpose than I ever was doing whatever I wanted to. I have found a love that fights for me, and want to spread this love to everyone I meet. God is waiting for you to give Him your failures. He wants to take everything you are insecure about and make it new.
I let Him take it, will you?