This article is part of a series.
Imagine someone alone, surrounded by darkness. Imagine trying to protect something incredibly valuable from shadowy and unknown threats. Imagine facing the inky, depressing darkness every night, weary of what might be watching you, what might be scheming to hurt you and what you’re protecting. I cannot imagine what that must be like. But some people can, like security guards. They have to do all that you imagined, to various degrees of danger. I consider that it must be a very hard job.
However, while they experience these emotions regularly, that mix of emotions is not unique to them. You, dear reader, are probably just a few short years from graduating and becoming an adult. However long as it might feel, let me assure you that your graduation day is closer than you think. And when you become an adult, you’re going to leave the NCA community and, for some, leave your family. In that time, you are going to have to rapidly figure out how to be an adult and start on the deeper quest to know who you are, away from what you’re familiar with.
But. You are away from all that you are familiar with. That may be more terrifying to some than others, but for all, it means that you will face the brunt of what the world can throw at you. The depressing darkness, the heartbreaking hopelessness, and the overwhelming fear of losing what you value most. Worst still, you don’t know how the world will try to harm you. And the loneliness away from home. All of it is overwhelming, but before you start thinking that adulthood is hopeless, remember that we are not alone.
We Are Never Alone. Joshua 1:9b says, “Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Psalms 139 also makes it clear that we can’t go anywhere he isn’t present. That might make some of you nervous, but it should be a comfort. If God is with us wherever we go, it’s important to be able to speak to Him. To hear Him. To rely on Him. That’s what he wants, after all. And that can only happen when we have a relationship with Him.
The world is a lawless place and is currently ruled by the Devil. If there is anything that the world is good at doing, it’s leading us astray. God will still be with us, but our choices will further and further separate us from God. That’s why it’s very important to build a strong foundation and relationship with your Father, if He is, and if He isn’t, it’s so, so vital to make Him so. This article is more for the former, but if you are the latter, please seek truth, seek life, seek the way. All of which are only found through Jesus Christ (John 14:6).
With a few former NCAI students, we’ll explore what you can do to build that strong foundation and deep relationship with God through five helpful points. I will warn you that it is a very hard journey.
- Intentional, Independent, Personal Growth
One former student describes how her relationship with God changed without NCA. She writes, “I do think leaving an environment where I had bible class almost every day, and had chapel at least once a week has changed my relationship with Christ.” She is even in “a Christian environment,” but still feels like God is “now something [she has] to actively find time and space for.” We sometimes don’t realize how much NCA does for our daily walk with God, and how we aren’t as “spiritually well” (if you will) without it.
She doesn’t leave us hanging though and tells us that “the best thing… is to be intentional about [forming a relationship with Him]. Form a habit of praying, reading the Bible, or worshiping, whatever that means for you. Write in a journal, sing, dance, pray, do [what you know] brings you peace and [brings you] closer to God.” Let me repeat for emphasis. Work on your relationship outside of chapel, outside of bible class, and even outside of places like the church you may or may not willingly attend. You need to find time to spend on your relationship with God. She even gives you a list of ideas to start with.
She is giving you a long list of things to try and I understand. It is overwhelming, but take it one step at a time. Try to pick one thing on the list that you can develop into a habit on your own time outside of school or church. Remember that habits need to be specific and intentional. What are you going to do? When/what time are you going to do it every day? Why are you going to do it?
The NCA alumni goes on to warn that “when you leave your regular routine, you have to create new ones or else you’ll just leave God to the side.” She admits that “I’ve been guilty of it, many times, but I’m trying to form habits and build discipline.” We all fail, but she also encourages you to “Just keep doing it!” Answer those three questions in detail and you are on your way to starting to develop your relationship with God outside of your current normal routine.
Besides preparing for life after NCA, developing an intentional relationship with God independent of others does have shorter-term benefits. As she goes on to describe it’s “a lot more personal and direct with God.” She also believes that it definitely “encourages [her] to question [her] beliefs and to form a stronger base for [them].” That is an idea we’ll explore in the next article, so until next time, you have your challenge.
