October 7, 2022 by

Being at a Christian university is an amazing blessing. We are surrounded by fellow believers, learn from incredible speakers in chapel, and learn more about Scripture through our Bible minors!  

It can be easy with all these things to become complacent and too comfortable in our faith. Cedarville University is a pretty safe environment in which to grow and learn, after all, but let me encourage you to not become complacent. There are two important reasons why.  

First, although there are many neat opportunities to strengthen your walk with Christ here at Cedarville, no one is perfect, and it’s easy to become lazy in your devotion to God’s Word. This can also lead to being swayed toward bad choices. Second, at some point, you will graduate and step out into the world, which will tempt you to turn from your faith at every opportunity. These college years are the time to prepare and dig deep in God’s Word so that you will stand strong in the face of whatever may come your way, whether now or after graduation. 

I want to share with you three tips for deepening your faith and avoiding complacency.  

Dig into the Word! At this point in the semester, this has been drilled into our heads multiple times by Dr. White and other chapel speakers — but how many of us are actually doing it? Take a moment and consider whether you are actually studying God’s Word deeply. I know that too often I open my Bible in the morning and read a few verses or a chapter and call it good, because I have important things I need to get to. Or things that I think are important! I want to encourage and challenge you (and myself) to spend quality time in God’s Word studying and getting to know it. Here are some tips to get you started. Maybe pick one each day to accomplish.  

  • Journal – Write at least one sentence or thought about the verses you read. You could even just copy one of the verses. This helps me remember what I read and physically do something with what I’ve read. 
  • Memorize – Memorize a verse. This is probably one of the hardest things for me to do, but it is one of the most powerful! You will be strengthened in your faith and you will be equipped to apply the wisdom of Scripture to your conversations and relationships throughout the day.  
  • Pray – Build this into your Bible time every day. Usually, I start and end with prayer, thanking God for the day and asking Him to open my heart and mind as I’m reading the Bible. If you don’t know where to start, flip to Matthew 6:9-13 and read the Lord’s prayer. It is a beautiful outline for how we can pray.  

Stand firm in what is right. Although we are at Christian university, we are not safe from the temptations of the world. Everyone is imperfect, and the people you’re around might not always make the best choices. Here are three simple tips to help you make wise decisions and not just go along with what others are doing. 

  • Hold decisions up to the Bible and see whether it aligns with biblical principles. 
  • If you feel that something is wrong, don’t do it! It might be hard to tell your friends that you’re not going to participate, but it is the right thing to do, and it will be worth it in the end.  
  • Ask yourself whether or not what you are doing is a testimony to others who may be watching. Answering this question can be very helpful in determining if you should do something.  

 Live your life in a way that reflects Christ:  

  • Reflect Christ in the way that you act and speak. Make sure that you are always acting in a way that is honoring to God and make sure that the words you say are things you would not be ashamed to say in front of God. Our words carry great power with them, as I’ve been learning in one of my classes this semester! So use them wisely, whether in person or on social media.  
  • Don’t be afraid to bring up things you read from the Bible or discuss the Gospel with your friends. Our lives should be centered around Christ, and it should not be strange to share with your friends something you learned from your quiet time that morning or from chapel. In fact, you may sometimes share the encouragement that someone else needs, and it will help you be more confident in talking to others about what you believe and why.  

I hope that these tips will help you and encourage you! Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” God created us for amazing works so don’t waste these valuable years! 

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