Being a Christian Student on the campus – Practically applying the Life-Giving Spirit to Our Lives

The biggest challenge I struggle with as a Christian on campus – and even as a normal college student – is how to manage my time wisely. Ephesians 5:16 says, “Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”

Everything in this world is fighting for our time and, especially as students, time is one of the most precious things we have to give to the Lord.

As a high school student, I often used to think that God wanted me to sacrifice my commitments at school and let my grade point average suffer for the church meetings or conferences. But God’s heart toward us is good…

Moreover, He desires to train us to become proper vessels. To be proper human beings, we need education. In fact, brother Witness Lee encouraged young people to go as far as to get a PhD. – to go to the best school and earn the best grades possible.

The Lord needs to refresh our view of what education is for. When God created man, He did not create man to secure a high-paying corporate level job or to earn a doctorate degree.

He created man to express Him in with His image and likeness, and to have His dominion. In the end, a movie star career or a prestigious fellowship will only leave us empty and longing for something eternal.

Recently, I’ve been learning to enjoy the Lord as the Life-giving Spirit (1 Cor. 15:45). We’ve heard this many times, but so many times in my experiences I do not stand on this fact. I’ll wait until the Friday night home meeting to enjoy the Lord, or wait until some sister calls me to read the Word. But the Lord went through a marvelous process so that we can enjoy Him anywhere, anytime, and at any place.

We can practically apply this through prayer – 1 Thessalonians 5:17 tell us to “unceasingly pray”. Prayer does so many wonderful things – it brings us into fellowship with the Lord, it stops our doing, it defeats the enemy, and it leads us away from temptation.

When I sit down to write a paper or to study for an exam, the temptation to procrastinate can be relentlessly strong. Sometimes, I sit down in the library and an hour or so later I find that I’ve read twenty news articles and completed absolutely no work.

This is what Ephesians 5:16 means by redeeming the time, for the days are evil. It is good to open our beings to the Lord in every decision, no matter how petty they seem… Continually fellowship with Him — while you are studying, while you are walking to class, or while you do your laundry.

The Lord cherishes our little turns to Him. “Lord, I have a midterm tomorrow.” “Lord, I love You.” “Oh Lord Jesus, I did not get much sleep last night.” “Oh Lord, study with me!”

The times that I’ve opened even something so little like a study session to the Lord, not only do I concentrate better and learn the material better, but I enjoy Him during that time. In this way, we give the Lord ground to infuse His being into our being as we do our activities, big or small, from day to day. Praise the Lord that He is the Life-giving Spirit!

[sharing from a sister Christian student on the campus in the MA, USA, as a short testimony in answer to the question, How does it work for you to be a student on the campus and a lover of Christ at the same time?

Picture credit: Wellesley College, MA, via Today’s Campus. Read other students’ testimonies via, Being a Christian Students on the Campus. What is YOUR testimony / experience related to this? How do YOU enjoy the Lord in your studies? Leave us a comment below…]