Tag Archives: coping with the temptations of college

The Real Thing

How many times in life do you seek an emotional high?  One that never ends; giving you a sensation like a drug, 24 hours a day.  Many go through their entire lives searching, but never find the real thing.

Do you recall your first day of school?  As formal education begins, innocence gives way to curiosity and terror.  Fears over finding friends and earning acceptance by your peers takes precedence.  However, the thought of being away from your parents provides a sense of freedom temporarily.  This freedom entices you to try new things, experimenting with fruit, forbidden by parents and teachers.

By the time junior high arrives, eyes start to wander… BABES, STUDS, ALCOHOL and DRUGS!  Perhaps you might not be as distracted as some, yet juicy stories spread fast through the grape vine peeking your interest.  The closer you look, the mind takes on an alter ego, longing for items on the other side of the fence.  Fleshly desires, peer pressure and the unknown leads you to the verge of sin thinking, “Oh baby this sure does feel good.”

A junior high experiment often leads to a senior high life style.  Marijuana, pranks and sex are just a few of the choice behaviors one indulges in to obtain the real thing.  Sure, there are risks, even consequences; but what will my friends think if I go straight?  “Everybody is doing it, why can’t I,” says the follower.  As high school drifts by, the next hurdle to jump is college.  Hobbies you once did for a buzz no longer provide satisfaction.  Call it what you may: a habit, obsession, way of life or obliterating time, something inside can’t let go.  This quest for real life has turned into an addiction.

Have you ever stopped to wonder why you do what you do?  Has it occurred to you that you’ve missed something along the way?  Is there something else out there beside living for the weekend?  I don’t believe you and I were placed on this earth by accident.  Growing up, working for a living 9 to 5, have fun for a while then repeat this cycle over and over again til you die?  This doesn’t make sense!  There must be a greater purpose or meaning in life, but what is it?

Jesus Christ, the son of God the Father is your answer.  God sent His one and only son, Jesus, down to earth, to die for blemishes on earth, John 3:16-17.  Jesus rose from the dead, ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father according to the Apostle’s Creed.  Jesus didn’t just die on a cross and rise from the dead for His own glory, Romans 5:8.  Rather, Jesus became sin for us: for you, me and everyone ever born on planet earth.  Jesus did all of this so that all of us might be seen as righteousness before God, 2 Corinthians 5:21.

This may sound crazy, yet there is no other HIGH greater than entering into a relationship with Jesus Christ, Romans 10:9-10.  Nothing else compares to dedicating your life to God in your living years, John 10:10.  Thus, peace is found in no other place, Galatians 5:22-23.  This isn’t about High’s and Low’s.  This is about life and death, living and dying, Deuteronomy 30:11-16.  The only way to Jesus is through denying yourself, Matthew 16:25.  You may think I’m odd, strange or simply old-fashion, yet God has placed the words of this blog on my heart.

If you have tried most everything else, don’t waste your precious time any longer; embrace the Real Thing, Jesus Christ!

(c) Jay Mankus, 1991.

Revision completed in 2014 by Jay Mankus

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Is It Strange that I Feel This Way?

The new normal in the 21st century is foreign to many who hold to Judeo-Christian values.  While talking to a friend this past week, our conversation turned toward college, the temptations we faced and the culture that currently exists.  When my friend’s daughter came home last week for the first time, just starting her freshman year, she felt uneasy.  One of the things she is wrestling with is the disconnect she has with friends who have embraced the party atmosphere at school.  Not sure how to respond, she asked her father, “is it strange that I feel this way?”

Once of Jesus’ disciples used the term alien to describe how he felt living in and among the world, 1 Peter 2:11-12.  Strange is relative depending upon your normal surroundings, but it is clear when you choose to go against the flow, its not easy, requiring courage, fortitude and faith.  However, Peter expounds upon what believers should expect, a spiritual war, urging you to comply with the sinful nature.  This attack on the human soul begins with the commercialism of alcohol.  The message has become so prevalent on television that beer, liquor and mixed drinks are trying to convince consumers that if you buy this, drink that or are seen holding a certain beverage, you will be the life of the party.  This hyper-reality overlooks the pain hangovers produce, deaths related to drunk driving and the destruction alcoholism can create within families.

During my first semester at the University of Delaware, my floor had the lowest Grade Point Average on campus according to my Resident Assistant.  While not quite as low as the Delta’s in the movie Animal House, I felt like I wasted an entire semester.  Those students who earned a 0.0 GPA did not return, leaving a much quieter dorm.  Even friends I knew who lived in Fraternity homes, either matured or grew tired of partying.  Therefore, for anyone out there, who thinks they aren’t normal for abstaining from drinking, you are not alone.  Like the Old Testament suggests, God always keeps a remnant, a group of followers who overcome temptation by holding true to the Bible.  Hold fast to the promise of Galatians 6:9-10!

by Jay Mankus