Don't Leave The Lord When You Leave Home

When you move away from home for college, work, or the military, it is a major transition. For the first time, you are completely in charge of your own faith, from attending worship services to serving God publicly.

At home, your parents or guardians directed your spiritual schedule. Now, that responsibility is entirely yours.

Be Faithful in Worship to God

We should always give God the honor and worship He deserves. One way we do this is by gathering regularly with a local church and sharing in their work.

The writer of Hebrews describes this responsibility:

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” — Hebrews 10:23-25 (ESV)

Worshiping faithfully shows our gratitude to God and allows us to encourage other believers. When you move away from home, attending services is a choice you must actively make for yourself.

Taking Personal Responsibility

When you are on your own, your daily schedule changes:

• No one will wake you up: You will not have parents waking you up and driving you to church.
• You must plan ahead: You are responsible for waking up early enough to get dressed, eat, and arrive before services start.
• Prepare your heart: You are in charge of studying your Bible lessons and attending every service.
• Manage your Saturday nights: You need to avoid staying up so late that you sleep in or fall asleep during the sermon.
• Participate fully: If there is a business or congregational meeting, you are part of the local church and should be there.
• Young men: You are expected to attend men’s business meetings to listen, learn, and help make decisions.
• Support church events: Make time to attend gospel meetings (special series of sermons) and participate in church work days.
• Commit to a local church: Find a congregation, let them know you are joining their work, and prove that they can depend on you.

Make a Difference Where You Worship

When you get involved in a local church, you help strengthen the entire group. In 1 Timothy 4:12-16, Paul urged the young evangelist Timothy to:

• Be a good example in speech and conduct.
• Focus on growing in Bible knowledge.
• Use personal gifts and abilities to build up the church.
• Immerse himself fully in the Christian life.
• Guard himself against ungodliness.

When you move, people will judge your faith by your actions alone.

When I moved out of state for college, I realized the local members did not know my family. Everything they knew about me came from my own words and actions. Remember, you are not just a spectator or a “college student”—you are a Christian who is responsible for helping the local church grow.

Avoid the Trap of Skipping Services

Do not let yourself fall into the habit of missing services. It is easy to make excuses when you study late or work long hours. You might hit the snooze button and skip Bible class, promising yourself you will attend the main service. Eventually, you might skip Sunday morning altogether and tell yourself you will go Sunday night.

Skipping services is a dangerous habit that causes you to drift away from God.

It leaves you weak and vulnerable to temptation. Just like a sheep that wanders from the flock is easily caught by a predator, a Christian who drifts away from other believers is an easy target for Satan:

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” — 1 Peter 5:8-9

Give Financially to Show Gratitude

Another important habit to start early in life is giving back to God from what you earn.

Scripture advises:

“Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce.” — Proverbs 3:9-10

We honor God when we contribute financially to the work of His kingdom. Even if you can only give a small amount while in college or starting a career, giving shows your thankfulness.

The proper attitude for giving is described in 2 Corinthians 9:6-12. We should give cheerfully and generously, knowing that we are supporting God’s work.

Moving away from home is your opportunity to step out of your parents’ shadow and become a faithful, active servant of Christ.

Other Articles in this series:

• Why Older People Give Youth Advice (And Why You Should Listen)
• Trust God Completely and You Can Face Anything
• Don’t Swim in the Sewage (being holy when you are on your own)
• Live Worthy of Your High Calling