Healthy plants have deep roots and strong pillars have solid foundations. If we are to be Christians who are deeply rooted in Christ and built on the solid Rock, then we need more than mere sound bites. One means that the Lord has used throughout church history to strengthen His people’s faith and witness is reading good books. This book review series is identifying books that can serve as shovels that help you dig deeper in your Christian life.
Book: Surviving Religion 101 – Letters to a Christian Student on Keeping the Faith in College - Michael J. Kruger
It’s a new year of school and maybe you have entered the strange, new world of college or university. To help you prepare for and face the intellectual and spiritual challenges ahead, we will walk through the book, Surviving Religion 101 by Michael Kruger. We will take one chapter per week to summarize the key principles for living as a Christian as a college student. Chapter 1 is titled, “I’m Worried about Being a Christian at a Secular University – How Will I Survive?” To get us started, here are four basic survival tactics to prayerfully pursue with the Lord’s help.
1) Be Ready
As you go head into a secular school (or workplace), you might think your parents or pastor are being a bit alarmist. Aren’t they overstating the dangers? Of course, it is possible to be overly pessimistic, convinced that everyone is out to get you. This can be paralyzing. However, we must be aware of a naïve overconfidence. Many Christians enter school or the workforce thinking that they are strong enough to handle what is coming. But this is exactly the thinking the Bible tells us to avoid. Ephesians 6:10-13 warns us that we are all engaged in a spiritual battle and that the only way to stand is to recognize our vulnerability so that we stand strong in the Lord’s strength.
To put it bluntly: Are you ready to be viewed as narrow minded, intolerant, arrogant, and hateful? Friend, you need to recognize your own weaknesses and susceptibility to give in to the pressures. This does not mean you should cower in fear, but instead be on guard and lean on the Lord (1 Cor. 16:13).
2) Be Humble
As you step outside your Christian bubble, you will be aware that there are many questions you don’t know how to answer. That can be uncomfortable. It might make you feel embarrassed, keep you from challenging conversations, or doubt what you believe. However, if you are realistic about yourself and your limitations this does not need to be your response.
Instead, be humble and give yourself a break. Did you really think that you would have an answer to every question? Your parents and pastor do not have exhaustive knowledge about every challenging issue, so why would hold yourself to that standard? That’s pride. You are not going to be able to answer every objection to Christianity and that’s okay. It’s not a reason to doubt your faith.
Also, don’t confuse you not having an answer with there not being an answer. If you begin researching the questions facing you, you will soon discover that Christians have been addressing these issues for centuries. Be humble enough to recognize that we are not the first generation to deal with these objections and so learn from the past.
3) Be Teachable
While it is challenging to be stretched, God can use it to make your faith stronger. Athletes know that the pain of resistance is rewarded by endurance and stronger muscles. So, it is in the Christian race. By God’s grace, opposition will force you to think deeper. Comfort never produces good soldiers, but conflict does (2 Tim 2:3)!
The key is to allow all your questions first drive you to your knees in prayer and then to seek biblical wisdom. Be a diligent reader. Be someone who wants to dive deeper and to learn. By God’s grace, this study will not only bless your own soul, but help others who face similar challenges. Church history shows that the Lord often uses opposition to make His people better theologians, apologists and evangelists. The challenges you face are an invitation for you to turn to Christ for the first time or to grow up in Christ so that you are equipped to build up other believers and reach the lost more effectively.
4) Be Involved
Whatever our age and situation, the Christian life is a spiritual battle that we cannot fight alone. If you are going to survive, you need to be involved in your church. If possible, study close to home so that you can sit under biblical preaching, be accountable and connected to your church family. If you are studying away from home, then make sure to find a good local Reformed church that preaches the gospel of salvation that we are saved by grace through faith alone in Christ alone and clearly affirms the inspiration and authority of Scripture.
Second, seek out fellow believers on your campus. These might be Christian friends you grew up with or Christians from the local campus ministry. Either way, you will want Christian fellowship to encourage you through the challenges you will face in your studies.
For next time: “My professors are really smart – Isn’t it more likely they’re right and I’m wrong?”
Surviving Religion 101 – Letters to a Christian Student on Keeping the Faith in College by Michael J. Kruger. Published by Crossway, Wheaton, Illinois, 2021. Softcover, 262 pages.