Faith Over Fear: Transitioning to Collegeنموونە

A Place We All Belong

Leaving your high school friends and your family is sad, but it is also confusing. I thought that my identity was in them. While they were definitely a part of my character and personality, they were not my identity. The word identity holds a lot of meaning. Your identity is made up of things that are intangible and sometimes unseen. For example, a large part of my identity is my Faith, which cannot be touched or seen. However, I did believe that my friends were a big part of my identity, and I was unsure about where I fit in when I came to St. Thomas. I immediately fit in with the girls on the volleyball team, which was great, but once classes started, I noticed that I was not like a lot of the other girls who attended the school. Walking around campus made me feel a little bit insecure because I had a preconceived idea about the people around me. No one had told me that I didn’t fit in or belong. I simply put those words in my own head, and they replayed frequently.

Our lives on Earth are important, but God does not care (and it will not matter in eternity) what color our hair was, how much makeup we wore, or any other physical traits that we possessed. Our identity is not in those things. Our identity is in Jesus Christ. As the verse says, we have citizenship in heaven. Earthly society requires a certain amount of organization and labeling in order to have structure, but our true identity is within our spiritual beings.

It is important to have good friends. They can cheer us up, help us when we need it, and lead us closer to Christ. My high school friends and college friends are amazing, and I would not want to go through life without them. It is important to realize our true identity, though, because having a stable sense of self is what drives confidence. Knowing that my identity is in Christ means that I know who I am. I am fully loved, accepted, and known in Christ. If that doesn’t boost your confidence and self-esteem, I don’t know what will!

The cool thing that I experienced happened after I realized my identity in Christ. Suddenly, everything I did was aimed toward worshipping God and being my true self. Having a strong sense of self is a coveted trait and one that many do not possess, so embrace your identity in Christ, and expose others to that love. The greatest act we can do for people is to show them God’s love in hopes that they will choose to follow and know Him.

Realize your identity in Christ. Know your worth. Remember how much He loves you.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, what a privilege it is to find our identity in You! You know us better than we know ourselves, and You love us deeper than any human could. Remind us to look up to You for guidance and reassurance. Please continue to guide our paths and find people on Earth that challenge us to seek You further. We are Your disciples and are blessed to serve You. Amen.