Believing Faith by Njeri M.

“Lord please come through for me, I really need to have an idea of what I’m going to do for this assignment. Jesus, help.” I whispered a prayer as I walked toward the library. A part of me felt heard, and a part of me was slightly stressed. I needed an answer, fast. You could call it a need for a ‘mini’ breakthrough. I walked into the entrance of the library, calm on the outside and full of thought on the inside, I signed in my laptop. Scanning the atmosphere, I spotted a few students seriously working, and wondered could they also be hoping for a ‘mini’ breakthrough…


Daystar University is known for being a strictly Christian university, and so Christian attributes are expected of all students. However, I noticed one thing as I talked to a few students around campus, that we all have our own unique styles of worship and different ways of practicing our faith. Some would choose to take a three day fast, and others would simply just want to take a stroll and admire their Creators’ creation. In other cases, there are some who haven’t quite found their place in what to believe in.

“I practice my faith, which is very important, and this is Christian faith. It determines who I am and sets my principles. It determines my personality, my inner being.” *Jonathan, a student in Daystar. What one believes in defines their identity. Wow! We don’t hear that everyday. Which brings me to the question, that without faith, are we merely just living without purpose? Then again, it would be unfair to say that those who do not have strong faith are purposeless, because that would be false.



A student in Daystar gives his take on practicing his faith


Faith is something that many human beings hold on to. In this day and age of the 21st century, living a faith filled life can be hard, especially with the pressure of liberal living and choices. Sticking to one thing can be challenging. However getting a grip of strong belief in something more superior to you, gives a certain hope. “Everything will be okay”, you tell yourself with the faith that it will be.

With a deep, passionate, yet calm expression, *Jack, a fourth year student says, “Yes, I practice my faith. First of all by communing with God in prayer, and second by doing acts of service or acts of love like reaching out to those that are in need, the needy in society. I always try to reach out to them, showing compassion to those that need compassion in society.” Faith can lead you to being more selfless than you would have been without it. There are so many great heroes that we know of who had faith in something and were selfless and fearless about it. Be it, believing in a cause, a person or a concept even. Mother Teresa, Wangari Mathaai, Martin Luther King and the likes, all believed. So I’m a hero? You ask. Well, that depends. How do you use the gift of selflessness that comes along with the practice of faith?

Like *Jack, communion with God in prayer is one of the most common yet unique ways of practicing faith, for most Christians. There are many times, though we wont always admit, that we feel alone, or unheard, and so what do we turn to? An unseen ear and a mighty being who we believe can comfort us, or even just listen to our simple, complex stories.

Jack continues to say, “My faith is important to me because it’s like my guide on how to live my life. My faith guides me in terms of the values that I have, the kind of person that I am and how I relate with other people and my environment.” Faith even amongst students, affects our environment, it reveals to us aspects of our surroundings in ways unimagined. A task given to you by a lecturer may seem difficult at first, but once you believe that you can do it, it becomes ‘easier said and easier done’ too. Practicing faith takes sacrifice, along with a longing for completion and satisfaction. Faith gives us hope in what we do not see.



Faith is a personal thing. Some students prefered not to be

recorded.

 I have a nephew, who is a year and one month old now, and his faith is just amazing. I know, you’re probably thinking, okay he’s a year old, how would you know that? Hear me out though. Every time I lift him up and throw him in the air and catch him repeatedly, all he does is just smile and laugh. From just that gesture, I see this trust and faith he has in me that I won’t drop him and that he can just keep laughing.

Being young and vibrant in Uni with a fast paced life can get exhausting. With so many things to do, and all of those things depending on you to do them, where does faith in God come in? But like *Jack says, faith is what guides us on how we live our lives. Part of practicing faith is depending on the strength of what you believe in, other than on weakness that is temporary.

*Julia, a student, also in Daystar says, “Maybe I practice it. Though sometimes I don’t, because I’m not sure what I really want when it comes to that. But I pray at times though.” It happens you know? that we can be unsure of what we want at times, especially when it comes to matters of the heart. Yes, faith is a matter of the heart. It interferes with your decision making, what you value most, even down to the way you treat people. An inconsistent faith does interfere somehow with daily life. It’s alright to feel faithless, but don’t stay there, get up and walk. I read a book once that said ‘Never find yourself having the benefit of the doubt, doubt has no benefit’. The point of faith is to test your wings even without waiting for the wind to come and carry you. Just fly, you’ll be fine.

“Thank you Lord! I’m done. You’re just the best…” Faith... Faith in Christ is my breakthrough. Is He your breakthrough?



*Not real name

Uni – slang for University