Written by Abigail Morgan of Grand Bay Westfield, New Brunswick
Take a moment to reflect and ask yourself: When was the last time I experienced Jesus? Was it asking God moments before an exam to give you knowledge to pass? Or was it sitting in church on Sunday morning after a night out that didn’t go so well asking for forgiveness?
Life can get pretty crazy – it can be challenging and rewarding and everything in between. College and university life is no exception. It’s stressful, pressuring and sometimes feels like a completely different world. You may be a big studier or a big partier, but either way you’ll soon realize God is not always easy to find on campus.
As a current university student I understand the struggle of finding friends who share similar beliefs as you or even respect you as a believer. On top of all that you have tons of assignments, exams, stress over finances and probably not enough sleep. It can feel impossible to manage, let alone fitting God into the mix.
We often find ourselves putting God on the back burner in our lives. Whether it is to fit in, finish an assignment or just to cram for a test, God may be the last thing on our minds. If this sounds like you, you’re not alone. There are millions of students struggling with the everyday pressures of campus life. A study by the Assemblies of God found that between 50 per cent and 66 per cent of young adults who attend a non-Christian university will leave the faith sometime in their four years after entering.
I refuse to be a part of this statistic.
Are you ready to tackle this together? I sure am. I definitely want God in my heart, but even more I want to see Him on campus spreading His love. God is working in our lives all the time, whether we see it or not. Sometimes I see God working on campus when I’m having a bad day and the soup special is vegetable noodle, my favourite. Something just silly like that can sure encourage me.
But in all seriousness, when I really see God on campus is when I get an answer to prayer. There are so many Christians in this world who underestimate the power of prayer. We have a direct connection to talk with our Heavenly Father, the Creator of this universe, an almighty God!! Who wouldn’t want to have with the ear of the big guy upstairs? 1 Chronicles 16:11 says, “Look to the Lord and His strength; seek his face always.”
What are you going to ask God to do on your campus this month?
Since eleventh grade I have prayed that God would send me a friend to go to church with me. After over three years of praying for this, I finally got my answer. In the middle of 2016 I asked a friend on campus if she would go to church with me. I didn’t plan on asking, I didn’t practise what I was going to say, it simply came out in conversation and she accepted. Amazing! On that day on my university campus, God answered my prayer. What are you going to ask God to do on your campus this month?
I would love for you to join this journey with me. I want to hear about your experiences on campus and where you might be seeing God at work. Join the movement of spreading God’s love on campus by sharing your experiences with me on the LIM Facebook page at Fb.com/JoinLoveMovement. We as Christians can all learn from each other’s God moments, journeys and struggles.
I’m planning to share my experiences and struggles about surviving university as a Christian over the next four years here in this ongoing column. I’m excited to share and to hear all about your stories.
Now go spread some love on your campus!
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
