How I Grew in Faith as a College Student

I think I speak for most 18-year-olds when I say that the thought of college is scary. This was definitely my experience. However, I am fortunate to say I was raised by faith-filled parents who taught me the importance of finding a good church and a Godly friend group when I got to school. I’m also blessed to say my first Sunday at college, I found Sunnybrook and a great group of people to attend church with.

To someone else, this may sound all picture perfect, but the truth is, I was just putting myself in church that Sunday because it seemed like the “right thing" to do.

Every single college student searches for purpose, identity, or at least something to make us feel like we’re our own person. Being out in the world for the first time—whether you were raised in a Christian home or not —creates this “need” to find your group or your people as soon as possible. I fell into that routine my first semester: I went to church on Sundays and attended our college ministry, “United”, on Tuesdays. But outside of that my life was filled with anything that would make me feel like I “fit in” as an 18-year-old.

When I talk to other college students my age, the story is about the same—we long to fit in.
I remember feeling so empty after that first semester. According to the world’s standards, I was “living my best life.” But why did I still feel so empty? I thought that going to church on Sundays and a little time in my Bible each week was enough to keep me satisfied.

Here's what I found though: you can say all the right things about Scripture and attend every church event, but without a real, personal relationship with Jesus, it means nothing. So how does an college student begin this “relationship”? Here are the steps that God led me through:

When I first began seeking a relationship with Jesus, it felt so cliché. I couldn't wrap my head around how someone I've never physically seen or talked to could be in a relationship with me. So, I had to think about what makes a relationship work.

 My parents’ relationship was a great example for me. They made communication a daily priority and were intentional about spending time together. Think about any lasting, devoted relationships in your life—whether that be friends, family, or others. To keep those relationships strong, you have to make time to communicate. For me, this was hard to grasp. How do you communicate with the Lord? 

Start with the Word of God. The Bible is God-breathed— it’s how God speaks to us today when we simply open it and read. Knowing this, I began setting aside intentional time every single day to sit in Scripture. I prayed before I opened my Bible that God would reveal something new to me.

At first, I remember being so frustrated  there was no audible voice speaking back. It seemed far-fetched that the God of the universe would actually speak to me in His Word. I struggled with this for the longest time and it felt like no matter how much I read, I couldn’t understand it. But the more I opened my Bible, the more it began to make sense. Familiar stories suddenly stood out with new meaning. I started having these “aha” moments: “Wow, that really convicted me there,” or, “Wow, I had never thought of it like that.”

There was never a moment where scripture came out and physically spoke to me, but it gave me moments of encouragement when I needed it and conviction when I was drifting.

Pursuing a relationship with Jesus doesn’t have to start with a radical turnaround moment, but it does start with welcoming the Word of God into your life. This surrender looks like opening your heart to Him and allowing His Word to shape you little by little, every single day.

Am I perfect at communicating every day? Not at all. I’ve hit plenty of “stagnant” points in my relationship with Him—times when I’m not necessarily moving backward, but I’m also not growing the way I could be. That’s usually a sign that I’ve gotten a little too comfortable.

I’ll miss a few days in Scripture and start to feel off. Those days stack up, and before I know it, I've gone five days without opening the Word of God. I become comfortable being lukewarm and not growing. Eventually, I realize that comes from my pride—thinking I can make it through the day without my daily bread and communication with Him.

That's how earthly relationships grow stagnant too. When one person stops putting in the effort, they begin to drift apart. The difference is, unlike any relationship on Earth, Christ never drifts away from you. He's still there—sitting on your dresser, unopened—waiting for you to come back.

Every time I've found myself becoming too comfortable or complacent, Christ has been there waiting for me.

So how do I avoid falling into that pattern? It starts with recognizing my own pride and remembering how deeply I need Him.

In reality, I can do nothing apart from God. Scripture makes that very clear. Setting a routine and making my relationship with Christ a daily priority has been the biggest help in my walk with Him.

Think about it this way: When you're in a relationship with someone you love, you don't just take days off. When you do, you feel like you're missing your other half. Treat your relationship with God the same way—something you can’t go without. Make your relationship with Christ the thing you depend on to make your life "work".

We need a sense of dependence on Christ that’s greater than any dependence we've ever known. What really changed my walk with Him was realizing that my life—and everything I have—is not my own. I'm only capable of what I do because of God.

When I live with humility and dependence on my Creator, I'm able to make Him the true priority in my life.

Galatians 2:20 says this, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

When I gave my life to Christ, I stopped living for myself. My life is now devoted to Him every single day. That means giving up my own desires so that Christ can be displayed through me.

As we set routines like spending time in His Word we make our relationship with God a true priority—and that begins to change the way we speak, act, and think. The more dependent we become on Christ, the deeper our relationship grows, and the more we begin to reflect Him.

As college students, we are constantly surrounded by things that promise to make us “whole” or give us a sense of identity. But when we give our lives to Christ, our identity is found in Him alone.

These are just a few ways Christ has guided me in my walk with Him —especially as a college student —and I pray they help you think of new ways to connect with the Father.

Cover photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash

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