Transitioning from High School to a University is a BIG step, and with a big step comes big choices. Heading off to school can be scary. Maybe you're like me and had a youth group that provided a solid foundation in Christ, or maybe you are looking for closeness with God now. Either way, college is a great time for a fresh start and new beginnings! The following principles have taken me on a spiritual journey with our Savior that has brought me happiness, comfort, and adventure. I hope these principles help you during this awesome chapter of your life!
- Have a daily quiet time: I feel like I cannot stress the importance of this enough. Walking daily with our Savior is a crucial element to growing closer to him. He wants to guide us through this beautiful journey he has provided for us. He wants to celebrate with us in the good times, provide wisdom for us during confusing times, and carry us when we can't take that next step on our own. Whether it's just opening your bible and reading a few verses daily, or purchasing a daily devotional to guide your quiet time, starting your day with him is the way to go! Personally, I read Jesus Calling by Sarah Young. Each day it provides me with encouraging words and scripture to read. Also, I would recommend having your quiet time be one of the first things you do to start your day. That way your thoughts and actions will be guided by someone who only wants what's best for you!
- Get plugged in somewhere: When you move to a new town, finding a community of believers should be one of the first things you do. It may take a few visits to find a place where you feel comfortable and that's okay! You want to get plugged in to a church that is going to be a family, challenge you weekly, and that has a solid college group for you to get involved with. For some of you, this community may not actually be in a church building. Maybe its a small group that meets weekly, or a Christian organization on campus. As long as you are being fed spiritually somewhere, you will be in good shape.
- Be fed and feed others: This goes hand in hand with getting plugged in somewhere. I can't tell you how long "being a Christian" was just a statement in my life and not actions. As believers, it is important to be fed spiritually. It is just as and if not MORE important to feed others. Our sole purpose on this earth is to bring other people to God and show them his never-ending love and grace. The bible says in Philippians 2:3-4: Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others before yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interest of others. How do you feed others? It's simple. It might be leaving an encouraging note or bible verse on your friends windshield. It could be holding the door open for a random person at Starbucks. It could be sharing your testimony with your peers. For me, it was starting a bible study in my Sorority. If you ask God for opportunities to pour into others, he will show you who he wants you to bless and when he wants you to do it!
- Accountability Partners are awesome: So now that you've found a place or group to get plugged in to, and you are being fed and feeding others, it's time to find some accountability. Being on your own for the first time comes with a new found freedom. With this new freedom comes consequences (good and bad). It is wise to have someone you trust to remind you of who you want to be and the kinds of choices you want to make. For me, I found this person my very first day at school. We just clicked and had one of those "I think we're going to be the best of friends" moments :) Ladies you know what I'm talking about. Since that day, Emily has been a source of encouragement and spiritual support and continues to be that for me daily. We try to meet once a week for coffee, froyo, or lunch and just catch up on how life is going. Although we love being the best of friends we are not afraid to tell each other when a decision or choice we are making is not in our best interest.
- Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle: This includes the physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects. Living out a healthy lifestyle will not only make you a happy camper, but it will set an example for your peer groups around you. If you eat more fruits and veggies aka (brain foods) you tend to do better in school. Exercising 30 minutes a day, 3 days a week, has been proven to give you more energy and release endorphins that make you feel invincible. Getting 7-8 hours of sleep a night is crucial!! Trust me, don't skip out on this! When you lay at the feet of Jesus a certain person or situation that is stressing you out, you can use all that time you spent worrying on other things. Happy things :) When you walk with Christ daily, you can be an example to others. There are no negative effects to living out a healthy lifestyle. I highly encourage this!
- Discover the gifts God has given you: Now we get to the fun stuff! As if God was not awesome enough already, because he loves us SO much he blesses us each with different gifts. For some of you it might be the gift of speaking. For others it might be the gift of encouragement and comfort. Even more of you might have the gift of leadership. Whoever you are, wherever you are, God has blessed each of you with a gift that he has designed specifically for you to enjoy and bless others with! Some of you might even have more than one gift! I want to encourage each of you to find out what your gift is. After you have done this, I want you to enjoy it, thank God for it, and then use it for God's glory.
- A Mentor is key: This is something I didn't stumble upon until the summer before my senior year. I wish I would have found her sooner! Naomi has been such a blessing in my life and she took me through a summer of healing that I couldn't have accomplished on my own. Having a mentor who is older than you and has already been where you are is such a good learning opportunity. They can give you advice on situations, serve as support, and encourage your growth further in Christ. Don't make my mistake. Find this person in your life now! It doesn't have to necessarily be someone in your college town. My mentor and I have a long distance relationship and keep in touch through phone conversations. Trust me you don't want to miss out on this awesome opportunity! :)
- Meet new people and make lots of friends: College is all about finding out who you are and the type of person you want to be. College is also the time to make lots of new friends and it's suprisingly easy! Freshman year is all about striking up random conversations in the library, bathroom, cafeteria, dorm hall, classroom, etc. The best part is.. everyone is in the exact same boat you are! Take advantage of this opportunity. These friends you make in college will be the friends you carry with you your whole life! I have been blessed with some of the best friends a girl could ask for and I wouldn't trade them for anything in the world! <3
- Learn to embrace the challenges and struggles you may come to face: College on it's own comes with some challenges. Being a believer in college comes with even more. As Christians we are called to be different. We are called to set an example for others. Being a Christian means taking the high road in a lot of situations. Now don't misunderstand me. If you feel something is important, take a stand for what you believe! What I'm saying is that what sets Christians apart from the rest of this world is our love for God and love for his people. To put it simply: Always respond with love. This world has enough hate. What it needs more of is kindness. Every time you encounter an obstacle, challenge or struggle put on the full armor of God. "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all of this take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." Ephesians 6:10;14-17
- College is NOT just for a MRS Degree: Oh this one's fun. Let's flash back to my freshman year of college here for a minute. I had this grand idea in my head of heading off to college, finding my handsome prince my first year, dating for the next few years, and having a pretty little ring on my finger right before graduation. For those of you who happen to know me personally, you know that this was simply not the case. Instead, I spent my first two and half years of college focusing too much time on dating, and not setting my standards high enough at that. (Ladies it is important to set high standards when it comes to dating) It wasn't until the second semester of my junior year that I realized that God had so much more planned for me than I had planned for myself. You see, this time of singleness is a BLESSING from God. It is the only time in your life that you will have to just focus on you and God. Later on down the road it will be you, God, and your husband. Then it will be you, God, your husband, and your kids. Once I realized this, my whole focus changed. I started looking for plans that God had for me and finding ways to serve him daily. Let me tell you something. When I did this, I started experiencing an intimate love with our Savior that I had never experienced before. Now I am a senior, fully content in our Lord's promises, knowing that he will withhold from me no good thing! (Psalm 84:11) This was my story. Yours, ladies will all be different. I'm not saying don't date in college, I'm simply saying if you date, date with purpose. Dating isn't a bad thing, it just shouldn't be the only thing you are focusing on. God comes first in all situations, even this one. Maybe think about it this way, God knows you better than anyone. He knows your deepest thoughts and desires, and he has someone that he has made specifically for you, and he will bring him to you WHEN THE TIME IS RIGHT :) So in the mean time, focus on your education (your primary reason for being at school), your friends, and your relationship with Jesus and you will be good to go!
- Be yourself!! A wise person once told me, "The only thing you have full control over in this world is yourself and your actions." I couldn't agree more. We live in a world that is constantly trying to get us to do the next big thing, and let's face it, the ways of the world hardly ever match up with what Jesus would want us to do. That's why he loves for us to find our identity in him. He has created each of us in a beautiful, unique way that is unlike any other human being. We are so special in his eyes. "So God created mankind in his image; in the image of God he created them, male and female he created them." Genesis 1:27 The most beautiful thing a person can do is simply be themselves!
- Dream BIG :) Like I stated previously, God knows our every thought and desire and he loves to see us happy. He knows our dreams and he wants to make them come true! Having dreams in college is huge! It's not fun just to go through the motions everyday. Know that God has so much planned for you, and you can truly accomplish anything with him. So hold your head up high, allow your thoughts to grow, and DREAM BIG!
Thanks and God Bless!! <3
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