To the girl struggling with her faith,
You aren’t alone. I know it may feel that way a lot of the time, but I promise you aren’t.
My first year at Florida State University (and even still), I struggled with the same thing. I wanted to have fun in college, to enjoy the “best years of my life.” I mean, FSU is a party school so it only makes sense that I should go out and party and put God and my faith on the back burner. I began to feel empty and alone, even though I was surrounded by friends. I didn’t have any Christian friends, though, and that was a burden in itself. It’s hard to explain what you’re feeling to someone who doesn’t fully understand.
We are not alone, though.
Psalms 9:10 says, “Those who know Your name trust in You because You have not abandoned those who seek you, Lord.”
In the last year, I’ve struggled to realize this and believe it wholeheartedly. Tallahassee is so different from my hometown and the people on campus are so different from those in my high school. In high school, it wasn’t hard to find friends (or even teachers) with the same faith as me. I was surrounded by people who loved Jesus and, in turn, loved me. Here, however, that quest is much more difficult. Constantly, I’m surrounded by people who poke fun at Christianity so nonchalantly or blatantly disrespect my beliefs without another thought. This is tough. I’ve found some strategies to help me with my faith, to not feel so alone, and to remind me that I am loved greatly, even on a campus where I feel invisible.
Pray.
Pray everyday. Pray about the good things and the bad. Tell God about what’s going on and what you’re struggling with. Be honest with Him. When you pray, however, make sure you take time to listen. Often times, I think I make the mistake of talking God’s ear off then cutting our date short. Like, “Sorry, Creator of the World, I’ve got class in an hour and I have to get coffee on the way. Talk to you later!” Proverbs 4:20-21 is God speaking to us about listening. He says, “My child, pay attention to what I say; turn your ear to My words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart…” Praying and listening has helped me to find peace and calmness, especially during stressful times like exam week.
Read.
Read your Bible and study it. This kind of goes along with the last point in making time for God and not rushing. I struggle with this one a lot because I feel like I just don’t have time to sit and read the Word of God. I fail to look at the hours each day because I spend it on Netflix or Hulu. This can be as easy, though, as starting a reading plan on the Bible app to keep you on track. Again, I am so bad about this. Literally every day I tell myself, “Okay, Cheyanne. You really need to start reading your Bible more.” And everyday, I reply to myself, “Tomorrow.” It’s something I know will really help me with my struggle in my faith but something I also really need to work on.
Courtesy: Olivia Snow on Unsplash
Surround yourself with other Jesus lovers.
One thing that I’ve found that really helps is to have at least one friend with the same belief system as you. One friend with similar faith can make a world of difference. Like I said earlier, it’s hard when you don’t have anyone to talk to in your everyday life. My first year at FSU, I didn’t have this. I had my mom who was only a phone call away, and that helped a little bit. But having a friend that invites you to church and isn’t afraid to talk God with you is one of the best feelings. If your struggling to find a friend like this, literally just DM me on Instagram, which I’ll shamelessly plug right here (Instagram).
Also, getting into a small group or going to any service from many Christian organizations on campus is a great way to meet people. I know this can be scary if you aren’t super outgoing or great at meeting new people but give it a try! The worst thing that could happen is you go to a service and talk about the Great Father that we have but don’t meet anyone new (which is unlikely, as many of these groups have awesome leaders who love to reach out).
Ask yourself what you can do to improve.
Each person has a different walk with God. Each person has a distinct background with different difficulties, opportunities and paths than any other person. Look into yourself, look at your walk. What’s different now compared to when you feel your faith was strongest? Is it the different environment and the hardships that brings? Is it the loss of a loved one? Is it the feeling of emptiness that you can’t seem to shake? You have to decide this for yourself. Once you’ve discovered what is hindering you the most, you can come up with a game plan on how to confront the issue. Remember, praying, reading and surrounding yourself with like-minded people will make this journey so much easier.
You are not alone in this journey. You are not the only girl to ever struggle with faith. You have a Father who loves you and so many people ready to support you.
“Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7
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