Living for Christ in college

I work with college students for a living and trust me I know it’s hard to live for Jesus while in college. It is my passion in life to work with young adults and college students; I love it! It saddens me so much when I see young men and women selling themselves so short of what God has for them. When I was in college I was not a Christian. I lived for my own selfish ambition. I truly didn't believe I could have a relationship with God. I had a friend who I love dearly and she was the only person I knew in college who said she was a Christian and actually lived like it. She was confident in her faith and didn't get involved in any of the ungodly things college life had to offer. She never preached to me, beat me over the head with the bible or condemn me. Her life song ministered to me. Looking back, I think about the things I observed from her just by her lifestyle and convictions. I became a Christian after college but in retrospect God definitely used my friend to plant a seed of faith in my heart. I feel like I'm writing this for someone who is a Christian but has become distracted with college life. God wants you to bring your focus back to him. He wants to use you to minister to lost and hurting people on your campus. Let me share some things I've learned along the way I wish I would've known in college.

Develop a quiet time daily

This is so super important. You will not grow in your walk with God if you don’t spend time with Him. I know life can be hectic as a busy college student with tests and papers but the truth of the matter is we will make time for what is important to us….period.  Trust me it doesn't get any easier after college. I don’t say that to be discouraging. I say it because there is never going to be a time when every condition is perfect. You have to be determined to spend quality time with the Lord. It takes discipline. It’s not about being legalistic. It’s about having a relationship with God.  The more you draw near to him the more he will draw near to you.  If you need help or are unsure where to start Joyce Meyer has a book called: How to Hear from God: Learn to Know His Voice and Make Right Decisions.  You can get it from Amazon or probably any bookstore.  Another good resource is a blog by a powerful bible teacher named Heather Lindsey called: How to spend time with God. 

Determine beforehand that you will live for Christ

The longer I walk with God the more I see there is truly no middle ground. You are either living for God or you’re living for the world which is ruled by Satan (James 4:4-7). I know that may sound harsh but it’s the truth. I've learned this the hard way. You have to make the decision you will live for Christ wholeheartedly in order to walk in the supernatural strength required to live a victorious Christian life. In the book of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were young men who decided they would not bow down to any man made idol (Daniel 3: 13-18). They purposed in their minds and hearts they would worship the only true and living God. Do you think they made this decision five minutes before? No way! Those Hebrew boys decided this long before being faced with death for refusing to worship an idol. That’s the way it should be with us. When you are faced with the option to go to that party or stay up and “talk” late at night in that super cute guy’s dorm room, what choice will you make? It’s not wise to wait until the opportunity presents itself. God desires to have a relationship with you. He wants you to spend time with him. He loves you!  Yes, it will be difficult but when you spend more time reading the word, praying and seeking God, he will give you the grace to stand for Christ and say no to the things of this world.

Guard your heart

I can’t stress this enough. Guarding your heart is beyond essential to growing in your relationship with Christ. I know it is tough with all of our gadgets and social media. The bottom line is this: whatever you are feeding will grow the most. Feed your flesh and it will rule you and lead you astray. Feed your spirit and you will have power to obey God. The best way to start guarding your heart is to work on one thing at a time. There is usually an area God is nudging you to pull back from (we all have them). Allow him to guide you and show you. If it is something you think you can’t let go of tell God the truth and ask him to help you. He will do it! But we have to do our part too. When you are intentional about guarding your heart you will see your desires change. It’s such an awesome experience! You will be more sensitive to the Holy Spirit. Your “want to” will be different. You will have more of a desire to live your life in a way that is pleasing to God.

Also, be mindful about things that aren't necessarily a sin but may lead you to have negative emotions or shift your focus away from God.  Paul said “everything is permissible for me – but not everything is beneficial” (1 Corinthians 6: 12, NIV). I’ll give you an example from my life. At one point I was really struggling with being single and seriously considered settling for a man that I knew was way less than God’s best. So, what did I do? I watched a marathon of Say Yes to the Dress. Watching 20 episodes of that TV show was not good for me. Is watching that show a sin? No, I don’t believe so. But it was not uplifting for my spirit at the time. All it did was keep my focus on what I didn't have instead of on God. I could have used that time to pray or study the word. Instead I was wallowing in self-pity. Don’t be like that. Guard your heart.

Distance yourself from people pulling you away from God

If you are spending time with someone that pulls you away from Christ it is best to Cut them off! It may be just for a season or forever. Here’s a few ways to identify if a person is pulling you away from God. The first one is obvious: The person encourages you to do things contrary to your beliefs as a Christian. Every time you walk away from him/her you feel hostile toward God, you don’t even want to look at your bible and forget about praying. This is generally because God has told you to distance yourself and you don’t want to. Let it go! I’ve learned this the hard way too many times. It was usually over some random man who shouldn't have been in my life in the first place. You may have to go through a period where you feel lonely and isolated. It’s Ok; it’s only for a season.

Get around committed Christians

I read somewhere that your closest friends they are a direct representation of who you are. There is truth to that. The bible says “Don’t be mislead:  bad company corrupts good character “ (1 Corinthians 15:33, NIV).  You will start to be like the people you surround yourself with. Beware, this can happen very subtly. You can hang around negative complaining friends and find yourself being that way over time.  I’m not saying to avoid people all together. It is good to have healthy relationships. I am saying you have to be really selective about who is in your inner circle. It is also a good idea to establish accountability partners. Iron sharpens iron. You are never too young or old for accountability. I am over 30 and I have people in my life who keep my accountable to obeying God’s word.  Seek friends who are striving toward holiness. If you are on the same mission you can help keep each other accountable when you feel weak or discouraged. Also, it is wise to look for same sex friends to be accountability partners. It is also essential to belong to a community of believers. Find a bible believing church or bible study to get plugged into.  

Stay in your lane

You need to be focused on your purpose my friend. Don’t look to the right or the left. Embrace the person God created you to be. Don’t compare your gift to another person’s gift. God created all of us to do His will on this earth in our own unique way. I wasted so much of my life comparing myself to others. DON’T make the same mistakes I did. I believe this is one of Satan’s many tactics to keep us distracted from our purpose. Be free from this bondage. The best way to do this is to seek your worth and value from Christ alone which goes back to the importance of spending time with God on a daily basis.

Let your life song sing

There are many people who will not go to church or read a bible but they watch you. Unbelievers are watching you. They are looking to see if you live what you say you believe. This doesn't just start when you’re witnessing to someone. It’s about your character and the way you carry yourself; your reputation precedes you. Sometimes we can get caught up in the idea that we need to always be doing something, posting something on Facebook or making bold declarations for our faith but our strongest witness is our life song. When living set apart for God your life will be a witness to others.  Are you representing Christ on campus and posting bible verses on Facebook but then curse out the resident assistant in front of everybody in your dorm because you don't like a policy. This is not a good witness for Christ. So the question to ask yourself is: does my life line up to what God’s word says?

I told you about my friend in the beginning of this blog. I was an unbeliever who watched her life. There was a line she wouldn't cross because of her convictions and I respected it. I didn't understand at the time but she was one of the people God used to plant a seed in my heart for him. Our friendship is even sweeter now that I’m a believer in Christ because we can talk about the things of God and connect on a spiritual level. In college I was a complete wreck emotionally and mentally. I was miserable and without hope or peace in my life. God makes all things new! I'm truly not the same person. My passion in life is to minister to young adults. I understand your struggles and I want to see you live a life of victory in Christ. I know it may seem like you’re on an island living for God in college but you are not. There are other believers who live for him and you do not have to conform to the world. Be encouraged friend. With God all things are possible!

With all my love,

Andreea Johnson

Me and my friend Shavonne from college 13 years later!