It’s a new academic year, and I’m starting my MA in Creative Writing and Publishing. At the induction session this week, we were given a list of key skills and attributes to succeed in our studies, and I realised that these things can help us to flourish in our spiritual life also.
1. Manage your time wisely
As a university student, it is essential to be able to manage your time properly to ensure you have time for both studies and societies, part-time jobs and volunteering opportunities, and of course to have plenty of time to get your assignments done. As Christians, it is important we make sure we factor in time for our faith and relationship with God in our busy schedules as well. Time management ensures that the things we prioritise have time in our week dedicated to them. If we leave no time for our faith, then we are saying that it isn’t a priority for us. Making sure you have time to go to church, to pray, and read your Bible, in your schedule allows you to do these things without squishing it into the 5-minute gaps between millions of other jobs we are trying to juggle.
2. Attend!
In the same way that your grades will flop if you skip lectures and don’t read your textbooks, your faith will struggle if you skip church and don’t read the Bible.
3. Read trusted resources
We’re always told at university to use trusted resources. As Christians, we have the ultimate resource: the God-breathed word, the Bible. Reading the Bible – rather than simply people talking about it out-of-context on TikTok or X, is how you will learn more about your faith. There is nothing wrong with using additional resources to aid your understanding, but don’t use these to replace the Bible itself.
4. Take notes
At university, you quickly have to learn how to take notes without transcribing the lecture – to write down key points that you want to remember in a way that will make sense to you. In the same way, if you have something from a sermon, talk or Bible study that stands out for you – write it down in a way that’ll be useful to you, so that you can come back and reflect on it later.
5. Participate for success
In seminars and workshops, university students are encouraged to actively engage rather than simply sit back and watch. The students who do tend to learn better, and achieve higher grades. In the same way, participate in your faith. Talk to God in prayer, get involved in serving at your church, and don’t become complacent in letting God do all the work in your relationship. God has given his son for us, he has gifted us freedom and mercy, but he has also called us to action. He calls us to love him, to love our neighbours, and to make disciples of all nations. Therefore, we can’t just sit back and not do anything to develop the relationship we have with God.
