Mark's Life: Gaining Self-Confidence
Mark and Spiritual Discovery:
As a teen, I was often nervous around large groups of people or popular individuals who on the outside seemed to have it all. I often found myself following others, sometimes to my detriment.
My lack of self-confidence sometimes got me into trouble when I followed my buddies. I got involved in some petty vandalism, rolling huge junkyard tires down a hill and smashing a new truck and sinking an old man’s boat by chucking rocks at it. We had to pay for the damages from our paper route.
So I came to understand that I had a problem with sin, which is ‘missing the mark’ or ‘falling short.’ This problem separated me from God because He is perfect and without sin. Yet the only way I could truly enjoy life to the fullest and find purpose and peace was with a friendship with God, my Creator.
When I realized Jesus entered my world to reconcile me to God, my problem with sin was resolved once and for all. My friendship with God is one that HE has initiated and freely invited me into.
As a university student I avoided stress by praying and trusting God on a daily basis. I also saved myself from plenty of headaches by avoiding alcohol and drugs and disrespecting the girls around me rather than getting involved for the wrong reasons. My faith allowed me to enjoy being a unique individual because I wasn’t living to impress others but rather to please God.
God has changed me into a more confident, secure individual, from a follower to a leader. I’ve come to rely on Him more, even when others don’t share my values.
I’ve come to see that we as students should realize that we all have a spiritual dimension. Fulfillment of that dimension is necessary to be satisfied as a whole person, just as the physical dimension requires food, and just as the social requires friendship. Jesus said, "I am the Bread of Life. I am the Truth, the Life and the Way." I consider Him to be the only one who can fulfill that spiritual need.
I think students should at least be willing to recognize their spiritual need and be open to exploring how Jesus will meet those needs and play a major role in having a purposeful and truly satisfying university or college experience.
I’ve come to experience that a personal relationship with God can alone guarantee peace of mind and joy amidst positive and negative times since life is full of uncertain and sometimes troublesome friendships, grades, self image, and career paths, among other issues and choices. It’s peaceful to rest in the assurance that God has a satisfying purpose and plan for their life, and he’s worth trusting with major and minor details of life.
More about Mark, a commerce student…
Related reading:
- Explore your spiritual dimension: Read our spirituality articles
- What’s your Spiritual Interest Quotient? Take our SIQ quiz and find out
- How you can know God personally
- Back to Student Profiles
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