Intro.
- Brief summary of my story and my friends' story in campus life as a Christian.
- I got into college in end of August, 2006. I was ready to study college courses. I was commuting from my parents' house, but I have slept over frequently at my friends' dorm room. I soon became one of those Asian kids who crams before couple nights of tests. As soon as classes finished, I found myself running to the basketball court most of days instead to the library. Jason, a fake name, turned to the social parties happened within the student body, and drown themselves in the pool of booze and crack everyday. Ali, another fake name, who used to be straight A student, flunked out from the school because of drug and sexual addiction after meeting this one girl from a bar. Jin, fake name again, used to be strong in faith, but turned into an anti-social geek who would literally live in the library 24/7 to study for her double major after withdrawing from every church activity. I can tell you that there are many stories for many people in campus. One of these stories can turn into your story. However, I really do not wish that any one of you suffers same tragedy that I and my friends faced. I'll be telling you two things, things I did that helped me in college and things I did that made me suffer in college as a Christian.
Main
- Things I did in college and helped me.
- Identity : Who am I? Why am I in college?
- Campus Ministry & Friends who can be accountable.
- I had an identity crisis around the end of high school years. I suffered from not knowing what I really want to do. However, with blessing from God, I had a chance at the end of my senior year where I received the conviction to pursue my career after medicine. I know that many kids are suffering with same question that I had, “Why am I going to college? What do I need to study in college?” These are hard questions. Even some – considerable amount of – college students cannot answer these questions for themselves. I am not saying that you should find the definite answer for your life career, for it may change as God leads you the way. What I want to say is that I do not want you to waste your life worrying and trying to solve the question with your strength or with human ways. I want to say that I have found the my answer through reliance on God and through prayer.
- Also, I want to tell you the importance of friends. They were already important to you way before, but it's bit different in college. You had limitation on whom can be your friends because school has only bit more than thousand to at most about couple thousand students who lives near the school. However, in college, everyone came from all over the country and world. Some college do have only couple thousands, but their diversity is much wider compare to big high schools. Also, there are some universities with more than 30 thousand students. In this kind of environment, you choose friends based on how compatible and similar each others are. There's an old Korean saying that “Grass color and Tree color are alike. 초록동색.” It can be said that you are just like who your friends are, however, it can also mean that you will become like your friends.
- With this in mind, I suggest strongly to you to find a good campus ministry where you can connect with other Christians as soon as you enter the campus life. It is easy to be influenced by friends around you especially without guidance, or nagging, from your parents.
- Belief : What do I believe? Do I really know Jesus Christ?
- Knowledge: read!!
- Experience: 40 days morning prayer in senior.
- I was once, before I became a Christian, a fervent reader of books of any kind, from manga to novel to history nonfiction to classical books. After I became a born again Christian, I read many Christian inspiring books. Because I did not go to sunday school like many of my church friends, I read more about bible stories and the bible itself. Because of all the reading I have done, I was able to learn about Jesus much faster and even clarified the misconception of Jesus Christ I had before I became a Christian.
- However, my spiritual maturity did not started with building knowledge from many books. When I was in senior year in college, I felt passionate after the revival at my church, and dedicated myself to attend the morning prayer session for forty days straight. It was so hard at first that I was late to the session after a week or so, but I have received a overwhelming presence in my spirit and able to confidently declare my faith in Christ and even convicted me to the direction I should walk toward in future days.
- Gifts : How much talent am I given? What kind?
- All the gifts and power I have received & experienced in college.
- Choosing major / specialty.
- When the word “gift” comes out, many people have uneasy feeling because of spiritual gifts that are mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12 for they are controversial for their current existences. However, when I say gifts, they are every talents we have received from God. It is very important for us to know what we have and how God wants us to use it.
- What kind of gifts do you have?
- I am not so much of a man with compassion. However, I always had compassion toward kids who lost their childhood with sickness or disability. I chose to pursue after medicine for this reason. I also have great interest in education for teenagers, which made me work as a teacher/tutor at Kumon center as my part time job. I also love playing guitar and sing, and I am using my this gift to praise God every Friday and Sunday.
- Things I did in college and made me suffer.
- Identity : Who am I? Why am I in college?
- Keeping up with friends in terms of accountability.
- When we caught in the middle of all the schoolwork, we tend to lose something in the middle – most of times, it is friends who can keep us accountable. I was studying pretty hard in second year in college with other study buddies. However, my friendship with my church friends became very loose. I only heard God's word on Sunday, and I never really had chance to remind the God's love with anyone else. It eventually led me into spiritual wilderness, and I had to struggle really hard to come back to where Father was waiting for me.
- Belief : What do I believe? Do I really know Jesus Christ?
- Knowledge: careful with head knowledge.
- Experience: do not seek for spiritual high.
- Our church nowadays teaches us how we should be successful in the world to preach to many more people around us. We talk about productivity, we talk about efficiency when it comes to spreading gospel. We also get into heated discussion of theological matters. On the other hand, some are seeking the supernatural experience of the Holy Spirit. They follow around the revival where spiritual healing happens and “good” revival is opening. Are they really helpful for our spiritual growth?
- When we look at the bible, the faith does not come from our work, but it is the gift from God. It is not the knowledge or supernatural experiences that makes our faith grow stronger. I once thought it that way, but I have realize that our emotions have date expiration and knowledge have limited applications.
- Gifts : How much talent am I given? What kind?
- How belittled the extent of gifts from God and haven't used it in full extent.
- Choosing major / specialty.
- I love solving puzzle. I like when I can come up with answers with logic and deductive reasoning I have to ponder. However, I have ignored the fact that I love puzzle and have chose my major, chemistry. I did not like it. I had more fun in math classes that I took for fun. Eventually, after wasting about two or three semesters, I have changed my major to mathematics.
Outro.
- Challenge to kids.
- Seek for a mentor.
- Not just an older brother. Someone around your parents age.
- Read the whole Bible for once while praying.
- How priests have eaten holy bread with oil.
- Faith is not from knowledge, but from hearing God's word.
- Tame your inner dragon.
- Tongue. Eyes. Hands.
- Dream!
- Do not settle for less.
- 10's is age when you learn as much as you can.
- 20's is age when you set your dream and push forward.
Q&A