But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you (Matt. 6:33).
University life is great! If I had to describe it, two words come to mind: freedom and responsibility. You generally get to do what you want when you want to but there’s also responsibility. Having to cook, budget and take care of yourself can be a steep learning curve.
There is a subtle danger that you start to forget God in all the busyness and the new experiences. Away from the familiar routines of home, you need to make the effort to wake up, get to church and read your Bible. There is also the pressure to conform and the temptation of other lifestyles and different moral standards.
I think it’s important to keep in touch with people at home, ask them to pray for you, phone them and let them know how things are going. This gives support and accountability. It’s also vital to find a church in university quickly. I found a wonderful gospel church in Liverpool within the first week and it’s like a second home. It’s an opportunity to experience a different church from the one back home, Christchurch Liverpool is very different from Capel y Ffynnon in Bangor!
The most important thing is not to neglect my personal relationship with God. It can be so tempting to do other things rather than reading the Bible and praying. Although there is an element of discipline in doing this, it isn’t a chore. God is our heavenly Father who loves us and it is a joy to speak with him and learn from him.
God is central to everything and he is the one constant in life. I’ve found that situations change – I’m here in uni at the moment yet it will soon be over and I’ll be moving on to something else – but God stays the same. People also change and I don’t know what the future holds, but God is the One who keeps me through it all and he is preparing a place in Heaven for me. Nothing is more important than knowing him.
I wish I could say that I get up at 6am every morning to read my Bible and pray, but I find that I do things differently each day depending on what’s happening. I can spend time with God in every situation. I pray when walking back from lectures, read the Bible when I can and go to meetings when they’re on. I enjoy living my life in a living relationship with him.
I find that friends help me in a big way. Going to the Christian Union and church has given me so many Christian friends who encourage me in my personal walk with God. I talk to them about God and we share what God has been teaching us. I’ve also found some books helpful, I’m currently reading Disciplines of a godly young man which is great.
Spending time with God impacts my life in every way. Through my experiences, God teaches me about myself and about his character. I have found that I can be quiet and trust him for the future. So many people at university are driven towards certain goals but I trust God knowing that he knows best and has it all under his control. Looking back at my first year in Liverpool I can see God’s hand in placing me here. I’m so glad that he did, and knowing that, I also know that he wants me to share his gospel here too. What a privilege!