Survival handbook: Yourself

I saved this one for last, and I think it's the most important.You can get along with the authorities, love the classes, and have great friendships, but still fail completely at college.  But I've seen people who fought the authorities and acted like a snot to their roommates and acquaintances, but then God got hold of their heart, and He changed them.  Your heart, and how much of it God has, is the single most important factor to spiritual success. 

Remember that the devil is actively trying to discourage you. That is, he's trying to remove your motivation, your courage.

1. Don't go thinking of plan B, if this doesn't work out. You should be determined to finish what you start. If God wants you there, and He's confirmed it in your heart, plan B is just rebellion. Go with that faith that God is leading you, and determine to let God show you that it's His job to get you through. My husband and I both had seemingly insurmountable financial challenges, and I got pretty sick two years in a row. The sickness caused me to fail some classes! I remember asking God what I was doing there, when I couldn't have success. That year is one of my most precious memories, and the things I learned about God's presence in my life are with me today. God can use anything that happens in our life, as long as our faith line remains connected to Him. Unplug it, let doubts come in, and they can ruin what God wants to do!

2. Modern day me again.  Hannah, your mom told me this one. Read your Bible every day, and touch the throne of God every day, just to pass time with Him, and not to pass a class. Study for classes is good, but it does not ever, ever replace time set apart to be in God's presence. You need it. Make it a priority. Find your place to be alone and do it. (My place was in one of the upper classrooms of the North Auditorium, and this very annoying young male student liked the same room, so he beat me to it, and I had to go find another room. In auditorium part of the building, a student would worship God and pray while he played the piano, so my devotions were usually accompanied by this music. He is now serving God on a mission field on the other side of the world, and the guy who stole my prayer room is now my husband.*) You will hear a hundred times this year, "Bible college is the easiest place to get backslidden."  ad nauseum.  Because it's true.  Well, any place is easy to get backslidden if you are relying on yourself.

3.  Modern day me again.  Morgan, your dad told me that "doing" was not nearly as important as "being".  Working for God vs. being His child and loving and knowing Him.  I kind of understood him, but it took some time for that truth to hit me fully.  I'm still learning it!  Activity does NOT equal God is pleased with you!  Anywhere you think that God is pleased because "I'm doing _____" or "I'm getting this blessing_____" or "everyone thinks ________ about me."  is a dangerous, dangerous place to be spiritually.  You are right with God when you get on your face in His presence every day let Him change you.  When you die to the flesh and carry your cross.  Activity is good, but it's only a product of our walk with God, and sometimes when we get comfortable doing certain things for God, we think we can swing it without Him.  Actually, my flesh is always confident in this manner.  And it's the thing that makes me want to quit when I make a big mess of things doing them without God's Spirit.  Hypocrite, isn't it?

This isn't as long as my other posts, but I hope you take it to heart.  If you went to Bible college because you believe God wanted you to, then give Him liberty in your life to do what He wants with your life!  The "big secret" to spiritual success (and you will hear tons of sermons on this) is very simple-being full of the Spirit, walking with God, and getting out of His way.  It can't get old to you-it's your lifeline.  It takes day-by-day checking, tending, and repair.


My love and prayers are with you!

Oh, one more thing.  If, for some odd reason, you find yourself sitting in chapel, and exhausted.  maybe your blood sugar levels are, hypothetically, weirded out by too many strange snacks and not enough sleep, and you might find yourself having a very hard time keeping both eyelids open.  Let's say you might have a pack of Listerine Pocket Patches in your purse, and after fruitlessly pinching yourself, chewing on your tongue, squirming and trying everything else you know of to stay awake, it occurs to you that it might be a good idea to use one of those little strips to "wake yourself up".  Refreshing and all that.  If such a thing happens to you, and I'm not saying it will, or that it happened to me or anything like that, I'm just saying it might, you know.  Don't put it under your tongue.  Just don't.
*For the record, my husband wishes it to be known that his version of this story is that some cute girl periodically stole his prayer room.  Whatever.