October 9, 2017
This one will be a little difficult considering I am still trying to acclimate to my new college life, but I thought I’d give you a little insight into the beginning pages of this new chapter in my life. I can honestly say that in the short time I have been in college, I have learned and realized so many new things about life, my relationship with God, and myself in general. This is not to say that I am at a perfectly and completely Christ-centered college, but God has definitely been teaching me and opening up my eyes to new things as I begin this journey of being by myself and moving away from home.
There is still so much work to be done in my life and I am nowhere near where I want to be or who I want to be, but that’s the beauty of life. There is always room to grow. There’s always something to work on; something to improve, and space to further your relationship with God.
I think one of the biggest things that really hit me hard since I started college is that my expectations were completely wrong. What I was assuming was going to happen to me in college and how I was assuming to be instantly transformed was immediately torn down. Beginning this next chapter of my life in a Christian environment, I am once again guilty of assumptions and believed that it would be so much easier to stay in the Word daily, keep my focus on Jesus, and really begin to flourish in my relationship with God.
However, I have realized that growing in your relationship with God and living a Christ-centered life will never come easy because of our sinful, selfish, easily distracted nature. In some ways, I have even found it harder here to stay focused on Him because of all the college activities, experiences, and, yes, homework. I thought that being in 3 Bible classes and having homework based on Scripture would make it easier to be in the Word every day. I thought that going to chapel 3 times a week would cover my worship for the week. I thought that being around other Christian peers and faculty every day would encourage me to focus on God.
NONE of this, however, is true UNLESS you make it true. Bible classes, chapel, worship services, and fellowship have all almost become ROUTINE for me. I don’t take it to heart each time I’m involved in one of those instances. I’ve found that no matter how much of the Bible I read a day, or how much I spend time praying, or how many Bible studies I attend a week, or how many Christ-centered conversations I have, none of them instill growth in my relationship with God unless it is my motive. Routine does not cultivate or improve your faith.
Growing up in the church, I am quite used to routine. I really learned what growing in my relationship with God meant when I abandoned routine and started making my faith personal to me. Being at a Christian college, it is so easy to fall back into routine and cause worship to no longer be personal, but just something you do every day.
I learned that I must go into every class, every chapel, every church service, every Bible study, and every situation with the desire and heart posture to grow in my relationship with God. Otherwise, everything the pastor or someone else says to me will just go in one ear and out the other. Praying before all of these things and asking God to open up my heart to really hear what He has to say to me has really helped me get out of that routine and begin my Spiritual growth once more.
Much love, Em