Rachel Hart

Starting her freshman year, Rachel bought herself a Bible to help herself sort through the unknown of following Jesus in college. Read to find out how Rachel prioritized spending time with Jesus, and how she was able to find Him as her ultimate comforter.

Going into college, I really didn’t know what was coming my way, and the unexpected was something I was completely scared of. If I’m being honest, I didn’t know what my relationship with Jesus would look like in college, and that scared me. I knew there were so many paths to choose and I didn’t know where I would fit in.

I was fortunate to live with 3 other Christian girls who became my friends and to find other girls that really wanted to figure out how to pursue Jesus in college. Before starting college, I had been praying and praying for a community of people that would love me for who I am and who would encourage and strengthen me through my walk with Christ.

I fell in love with how much I saw scripture in my daily life. It wasn’t just a book of things I was supposed to read and memorize, it was God’s love letter to me.

Finding time for Jesus my first year was like trying to solve a puzzle for me. I had to look at my week in advance, time things down to the minute, find things to get involved in, find time to eat. The list could go on and on, but I knew I had to make it a priority to spend time with Jesus in the midst of this craziness. I won’t lie; finding time with Jesus is hard. Right before bed became one of my most prime times to sit with Jesus because everything was quiet. Even if I had no other time in my day, sitting with Him right before falling asleep became a priority.

During my first year of college, I caught myself turning to 2 Corinthians more than any other scripture. In the first chapter, it talks a lot about how Jesus is there meeting us in our comforts and sufferings. This theme is something that stuck with me throughout the year of learning new things and finding more of who I am in Jesus. I learned that He is our comfort in all circumstances. 

“For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.” 2 Corinthians 1:5 (ESV)

By spending time in the word, I have been able to see how reading my Bible is crucial to my growth in Christ. As I started digging more and more into scripture, things really started to stand out. I would recall things I had read in previous weeks and I was able to use them in conversation. I was able to understand more of what was being said in Church. I fell in love with how much I saw scripture in my daily life. It wasn’t just a book of things I was supposed to read and memorize, it was God’s love letter to me. Since then, God has been constantly revealing to me how much He uses scripture in my life when I dig in and realize the power of His word. I know what it’s like to struggle to find time to read, but my hope is that as we struggle through our busy schedules, girls would begin to see that his word is active in their daily lives. It is more than just a book. It can change your life.