A student’s walk with faith is like a narrow path that’s really hard to stay on. Navigating this path often feels overwhelming, especially when life’s challenges come at you from all directions.
There are times when it seems easier to stray or give up, but the journey is about persistence and growth. Each step forward, no matter how small, is a testament to one’s commitment and desire to grow closer to God.
No one can live a perfect life; only Jesus has that capability.
In 1 John 1:8, it states that “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” This suggests that if we believe we can live without sin, we are not being true to ourselves.
There are multiple reasons why a student’s walk with faith can be tough. Academic pressures, social expectations, and the desire to fit in can create inner conflicts that make it difficult to prioritize faith. Sometimes, students may feel isolated or misunderstood when their beliefs don’t align with those of their peers.
The constant balancing act between faith, academics, and social life can leave students feeling exhausted or discouraged. However, these challenges can also become opportunities for personal growth and stronger reliance on God.
I feel that to fully believe in God and how His Son, Jesus Christ, was the ultimate sacrifice, you need to prioritize your faith over everything.
I have always struggled with doing that; prioritizing someone I can’t see or someone that not everyone knows is difficult.
But one day, that all changed.
The summer going into sophomore year, I went to a church camp with South Rock Christian Church called CIY (Christ In Youth) Move.
CIY Move is a week-long camp where you worship God and learn a lot about his word while still making deeper friendships with others.
Before CIY, I was telling my youth leader how I was struggling with my mental health and how I didn’t understand why God was putting me through this.
When he was talking to me, there was one thing he said that stood out to me the most: Romans 12:21 “Do not be overcome with evil but overcome evil with good.” He told me that this means don’t let the evil defeat you, but to fight and beat the evil with good.
A few weeks before we left for CIY, I wasn’t going to any church activities besides my small group I had on Tuesdays. I always told myself that the reason was that I was so tired, and I didn’t have any energy to go.
The day we got to CIY, I didn’t think anything would change. I thought that I would go hang out with my friends and mess around for a week.
But there was one night that changed all of it.
They brought in this preacher, and he talked about how teens will put so many priorities before God. This stuck out to me because I was always putting sports and friends before God.
When he was talking about all of these priorities, I started to tear up and think that I wasn’t good enough because I didn’t put him first.
At the end of the sermon, he said something that hit me really deep. When he started praying, I just started to cry. At this same time, one of my best friends, who is also one of my youth leaders, saw me and came over and started praying over me.
It was also the first time I ever saw him cry.
The reason I used to believe that I wasn’t good enough for God was that I had made many mistakes in my past and present. I thought since others judge you by your past, God would too.
I no longer believe that I am not good enough for my father because I believe that he died on the cross for everyone’s sins, and he was the ultimate sacrifice.
Since getting back from CIY, I have made a lot of mistakes, and I know they will continue to happen because I am not perfect, no one is, but the thing that has helped me the most with all the struggles and the mental battles is accepting Jesus as my Lord.