Why reading the Bible in College is important
Your college years can be a confusing time. You’re getting your first taste of freedom and trying to figure out your own values and beliefs at the same time. For most of us, we have always just believed what our parents do because we don’t know any different. Being out on your own, you are going to hit some bumps in the road. Your beliefs and values are going to be tested. This is why it is so important not to skip out on reading the Bible during your years of college.
Reading the Bible causes self-reflection.
We all need to step back and look at our lives from the outside every once in a while. To Christians, this is especially important while we are growing in our faith and beliefs. God wants us to examine ourselves so we can find our weaknesses and improve. We see this with several verses in the Bible such as 2 Corinthians 13:5. This verse says, “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves.” Doing this repeatedly in college will ensure that we are still performing in line with our faith or point out our weaknesses so we can improve and grow spiritually.
The Bible has plenty to say about education.
It is no secret that college can be hard. It’s normal for students to question why they’re still pursuing their education at least once throughout their college career. In this situation, you have to lean on your faith. The Bible reminds us that our education is extremely important. Proverbs 16:16 says, “How much better to get wisdom than gold, to get insight rather than silver,” and 2 Timothy 2:15 states, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” As Christian students, this should encourage us and help us to know that our hard work will pay off. Four years can fly by. You want to look back and know that you did your best for God (if not for yourself).
You don’t want to be one of the people who lose their faith while in college.
In college you’re going to be introduced to all kinds of people with all kinds of beliefs. It is great to be surrounded by new people, and you should always respect what they believe in; however, you also need to stand strong in your beliefs. You may find that your faith was rooted in a family routine. This isn’t the most awful thing in the world. College gives you an opportunity to create your own routines. Including Scripture in this new routine is going to ensure that your faith will continue to grow. It is also great to be open to discussing Scripture with others. Educating yourself and others through Scripture is one of the many ways you can continue to glorify God throughout college.
When the time comes that you graduate and are finally on to the “real world,” don’t forget about that Bible. This is our best connection to truly knowing God.
Katie Myers is a Greenville University freshman pursuing a major in English education. She is originally from Steeleville, Illinois.