One of things I want to constantly remind the people of our local ministry, Threshingfloor, is that God has sovereignly placed them where they are at in this moment for a specific purpose.
Paul says in Acts 17 to the Athenians that God has chosen our times and put boundaries on our dwelling places so that men might seek God. For Christian college students I believe that means that God has put you on your campus this year so that those around you might be pointed to Jesus by your words and your actions. Or, to put it another way, he’s put you on your campus as a missionary.
How do you practically live that out? Here’s five simple habits for those of us who God has placed on college campuses to develop that will help us point people towards Jesus.
1. Be early to class
We all have full schedules and, yes, getting up earlier for a morning class isn’t particularly fun, but if we are truly missionaries that God has placed to spread the gospel on our campuses then it’s our job to sacrifice for the sake of saving others. Get up ten minutes earlier than you usually do. Make it to class early enough to talk with the people you’re sitting near. Be friendly. Initiate conversation. Your job isn’t to sneak in a gospel presentation before the professor begins; it’s to love those that Jesus has surrounded you with.
2. Unplug
I love music. I love podcasts. The fact that I can grow in the knowledge of Christ while I walk from my apartment to class is a privilege. However, in the last couple months I’ve been convicted of how much of my time I spend with headphones in when I’m on campus. By doing this I’ve blocked dozens of potential interactions with the people who I walk past as I go from class to class.
Challenge yourself and spend an hour a day unplugged when you’re on campus. Take out the headphones and put the phone away. Make eye contact with the people you’re passing. Smile, say hey. Jesus’ life is basically a series of “by the wayside” encounters with people who he met while walking around Galilee and the surrounding countryside. Who knows what God has planned for you today? Unplug for a bit and listen to the Spirit’s leading.
3. Hang out on campus
Some of the most effective ministry I’ve experienced took place when I was living on campus my first year here in Fargo. I had great conversations with the guys who lived on my floor during the times we hung out, ate at the dining center together, threw the frisbee around, and did whatever else struck our fancy. I can’t count the interesting discussions I had when people would come to talk to me as I sat under a tree in the campus mall reading my Bible. They always assumed I was reading for class.
In my opinion there’s a huge argument for living on campus just for the sake of spreading the gospel, but that’s not where God wants all of us. For those who live away from campus like I do now, carve out some time to simply chill around the space where God has put you. Get a partial meal plan and eat in the dining center occasionally. Do your homework at the school in hopes of getting interrupted. Take part in campus events. Make some friends and watch and pray for the chance to demonstrate and speak the truth.
4. Be open with your faith
Instead of downplaying Jesus, be explicit about things. When someone asks you what you’re doing over the weekend tell them how you’re stoked to go to church and worship the God you love. When you’re asked your plans for the night, tell them about how Jesus is blowing your mind with his Word and the friends you’re digging into it with. If someone catches you reading your Bible tell them about what you’re reading and why it matters to you. When someone responds with a comment about the church and hypocritical questions, respond with a story about how Jesus acted and felt the same way towards religious manipulation.
Be open. If you’re not passionate about your faith why would anyone want to know more?
5. Pray for your campus
Most of the missional to-do lists I’ve read are made solely up of things that we should do out in the public sphere and seem to avoid the stuff traditionally considered “spiritual,” such as prayer, reading the Word, and the like. This is a dangerous (if well intended ) omission.
Prayer is the most missional thing you can do for your campus. Get down on your knees by yourself or, better yet with a few friends. Plead with the Lord for the souls of those on your campus. It doesn’t matter how friendly or open with your faith you are; unless the Holy Spirit moves no one is coming to salvation
If we really believe that our God is sovereign and that he has commanded and empowered us to make disciples then we need to walk in a way that makes that possible. Above all, our eyes need to be fixed on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. Tweak your life so that people see your passion for your savior. As we prayerfully, dependently go through our days God will do amazing things.
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