rejoicing-with-purpose-how-to-keep-your-faith-in-college

I was excited when I got accepted for university. I was really looking forward to the experience, independence and freedom. 

As I prepared for this new venture of higher education, many people congratulated me. They also had advice for me. 

One thing that stood out to me was that several persons were encouraging me to keep God first. They also encouraged me to stick to the Christian principles I was taught. 

I’m glad I listened to them. 

I faced several challenges at university but I’m glad that I still kept my faith during that time. 

I successfully completed university and I kept my faith. 

If you’re in university or college and you want tips to help you keep your faith, then keep reading. In this blog post, I’m sharing with you 10 practical tips to help you do just that. 

10 Tips To Help You Keep Your Faith in College

1) Have quiet time with God daily 

My first tip to help you keep your faith during college is to have quiet time with God daily. 

I know you may be thinking that your days are packed and you don’t have enough time to have devotions. 

But the truth is that you have at least 5 minutes of free time every day. You just need to be more aware of how you’re spending your time. 

Once you start paying attention to how you’re using your time, you will realize that you have enough time to seek the Lord daily. 

During your quiet time with the Lord, you can: 

  • Read a devotional (whether it’s a paperback book or an app or blog post) 
  • Read a passage in the Bible 
  • Pray 
  • Prayer journal

The purpose of quiet time with the Lord is to build your relationship with Him. And you do that by communicating with Him on a regular basis. 

The two MAIN ways we communicate with the Lord is through prayer and reading the Bible. That’s why these are the 2 most important things you can do in your quiet time. 

During your prayer time, make sure you’re honest and open with the Lord. Tell Him exactly what’s on your mind. 

Share with Him the challenges as well as the good times you’re having at college. And ask Him for help. 

You can ask Him for help with: 

  • Keeping your faith and sticking to your Christian values
  • Your assignments 
  • Making good friends
  • Overcoming peer pressure
  • Overcoming temptation

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2) Go to church regularly

When I was in university, there were times when I thought I was too busy to go to church. 

But over a period of time, I realized that going to church helped to strengthen my faith in God. I also enjoyed the fellowship,

I was glad that I was surrounded by many Christians who could share in my struggles and successes. 

Personal quiet time with God is great and it can really help you to build your relationship with God.  

But meeting with other Christians at church really encourages you on your faith walk. It also helps you to grow in knowledge, love and good deeds. That’s what it says in Hebrews 10:24-25. 

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

– Hebrews 10:24-25 (NIV)

Church services will help you to have a deeper understanding of Scripture so you can apply the Word practically. You also get the opportunity to ask questions right after the sermon. 

One of the good things about having a church family is that they understand the struggles you face in a secular world. So they can pray for you and give you advice. 

Attending a physical church will also give you the opportunity to fellowship and use your spiritual gifts to serve others and serve God. 

3) Learn more about your beliefs 

Why are you a Christian? What do Christians believe? Have you ever stopped to think about those questions?

The truth is that you may have to answer those questions one day. In 1 Peter 3:15, Peter urges us to be prepared to give an answer. 

Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect

(1 Peter 3:15b NIV)

Take some time to learn more about the fundamental teachings of Christianity so you can know what you believe and why you believe it.

This will help you to be resolute when your faith is challenged. 

It will also help you to be prepared to share your faith with others. 

Here are 2 books that can help you to learn fundamental beliefs about Christianity: 

  • I Don’t Have Enough Faith To Be An Atheist by Frank Turek, Norman Geisler
  • The Purple Book by Rice Broocks and Steve Murrell

4) Have a mind of your own

If you want to keep your faith during college, you have to have a mind of your own. 

There will be times when you will face peer pressure or societal pressure to conform to worldly practices. 

Those are the moments when you will have to make a decision to stand for what you believe in even if you are standing alone at that point. 

I know you want to fit in and you want to be accepted among your peers. But compromising your Christian values to fit in with your peers is not worth it. 

That is a clear sign that you need new friends. Ask the Lord for new friends. 

Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” 

(1 Corinthians 15:33 NIV)

You can find Christian friends at: 

  • Christian clubs 
  • Church 

Don’t fall for the lies. You don’t need to have sex now and you don’t need to increase the risk of having an unwanted pregnancy or getting a sexually transmitted infection (STI). 

And drinking and smoking are not as glamorous as they seem. These activities can negatively affect your health.

5) Don’t play with fire 

Sometimes you may think that you’re spiritually strong and that you can easily resist temptation. 

But Paul warns us in 1 Corinthians, that if we think that we are standing firm, we should be careful. 

You may not be as strong as you think so it’s best to be very cautious and stay away from situations that can lead to sin or bad habits. 

This also means that you need to know and enforce your boundaries. Don’t allow the opposite sex to hang out in your room and don’t hang out in theirs. 

So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!

(1 Corinthians 10:12 NIV)

So try to avoid events, activities and situations that can lead to: 

  • Alcohol abuse 
  • Tobacco/Marijuanna use
  • Sexual immorality
  • Gambling 
  • Cuddling 

6) Make friends with Christians at school and at church

The people you spend most of your time with will definitely influence you the greatest. 

Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” 

(1 Corinthians 15:33 NIV)

That’s why you need to ensure that your closest friends are Christians. And you have to make sure that they are Christians who live according to the Word. 

Many people will say they are Christians because they grew up in a Christian family. But they have not accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour. So they have little or no regard for what the Bible says. 

That’s why you have to look at a person’s actions to determine if they are truly Christians (Matthew 7:16-20). 

You can find Christian friends at church and at Christian clubs at your college. And of course, you can ask God to provide you with genuine Christian friends. 

This is great Biblical advice for college students.

7) Have an accountability partner

My next tip for keeping your faith during your college years and beyond is to have an accountability partner.

Your accountability partners should: 

  • Be a Christian and live according to the Word
  • Be willing and able to check on you regularly 
  • Pray for you regularly 
  • Be of the same sex
  • Be someone who is trustworthy and confidential

Your accountability partner can be one of your friends, a member of your church or even an older Christian person. 

8) Subscribe to Christian YouTube channels

Christian YouTube videos can serve as a source of encouragement on your faith walk. 

There are many Christian YouTubers who share Biblical encouragement, good Christian teaching, powerful testimonies and lessons from their struggles and successes. 

You can subscribe to their channel to grow in your knowledge of God and to have a virtual community of Christian mentors. 

Here are a few Christian YouTubers: 

9) Find Christian extracurricular activities

If your college offers extra curricular activities, I highly recommend that you participate in the Christian ones.

This is a great way to find Christian friends who can support you during your college years. It will also allow you to meet friends from other faculties. 

This was definitely one thing that helped me during my studies. It was a great feeling to be surrounded by young Christian women and men who were passionate about the Lord. 

It was easy to talk to them because we had quite a bit in common. They were also very warm and welcoming. 

Click here to see a list of some Christian Student Groups. 

10) Participate in hobbies and activities you enjoy

College can really be a stressful time. And you will need ways to relax. 

Many college students will encourage you to go to parties, drink, sleep with others and smoke. These are not healthy ways to relax as a Christian. 

That’s why you need to make a list of healthy hobbies and activities that you find truly enjoyable and relaxing without compromising your Christian values. 

Here are some hobbies and activities that you can consider: 

  • Watching positive YouTube videos 
  • Hiking 
  • Going to the gym
  • Jogging
  • Swimming 
  • Colouring 
  • Drawing 
  • Play sports
  • Go to a nature park 
  • Listen to positive music
  • Painting
  • Journal

Takeaway 

I really hope that the tips I shared with you today are helpful. I know that it can be challenging to stay Christian in college because of the various challenges. 

But I want you to know that you can successfully complete college without compromising your Christian values and principles. You can also keep God first place and still complete your assignments on time and have a social life.

Remember that the most important thing in this world is your relationship with God. So make it your top priority during this college journey and beyond. 

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