College is an incredible blessing. It provides exciting opportunities to meet new friends, to pave the way for one's future, to utilize the broad spectrum of God-given gifts, and to be challenged both personally and academically. The challenges are exhilarating, and the rewards are fulfilling. God has blessed us with an American collegiate system admired internationally and attainable for many. American campuses are buzzing with students of all ages, goals, and personalities; qualified professors excited to motivate; and an atmosphere like none other.

With its unique atmosphere comes a unique ministry. A campus ministry's main focus is to counter the devil's schemes set up specifically to attack college blessings. Our culture has at times portrayed and even accepted the college life as that of the prodigal. One may enter college ready to embrace all that college brings even if it goes against his or her faith. The devil can also use loneliness and insecurities to get people to trade in faith for acceptance. The degrees and standards of college can also create false humility or even real egos. The earthly intellectual challenges can also become a foothold for doubt or an opportunity to abandon Jesus.

Just like anything of the devil or of the world, limitations become obvious and the consequences quite painful. We find that our degrees may not get us that job that can pay for our fantasy lifestyles or that the human resource department can't solve the problems deep within our hearts. But what we also find is that Jesus is always there to pick us up, despite the way we've neglected and ignored him. The absolute love and humility of Jesus—who could have talked in five-syllable words or had the most expensive palace in the world—becomes so much more evident and beautiful once you've lived and been stung by the false promises of college life.

Campus ministry has the privilege to provide the means to show Jesus' faithfulness despite our worldly and material unfaithfulness. Campus ministry provides the encouragement that we all need daily from other brothers and sisters on the same leg of the race as we are. Campus ministry gently teaches us that home is where Jesus is and that our family is much more extended than we could ever imagine.