I don’t remember the exact date; it’s a bit of a blur, really. The gown felt funny over my shirt and tie (which felt just as funny); like I was drowning in a sea of poly-blends. I was with all the other cotton-poly infectees, sitting down in the front.

Some people looked for their families the whole time; we were so excited to finally get to this moment, even though we really couldn’t fully grasp the significance of it. We were so giddy; we really didn’t pay attention to the guest speaker. Who was this strange person, and why should we listen to him?

Finally, it came time to walk up and get the diploma. A few people tripped but caught themselves, one hand flying up to catch the unbalanced strange geometric hat (was this a hat from the future?), and the other hand trying to balance things like a family of trapeze artists. Finally—diploma in hand—each would turn and smile to the flashes going off.

Some kids eat up the camera like a photo shoot; some kids look for their parents and grin from ear to ear; some kids cry with a rush of emotion that hits them all at once.

Each made his or her way back to their seats; and, as the room slowly filled with graduates, you could feel the desire to throw the geometric hat into the air growing… and growing… and growing…

This was kindergarten.

Isn’t it funny how such a grown-up moment, like graduating from college, can mirror a moment we hardly remember? But, to quote  from The Lion King, it’s the great “Circle of Life.” I have no idea what that means; but I do know this: that I will always be a child in the mind and heart of God, and I think He keeps providing these experiences for me so I can remember that I am His child.

I want to talk to you about staying that child as you navigate through the next couple of years in the collegiate world (for some, this will be three and a half years; for others, 10 perhaps). Whatever the length, we all have a task ahead of us at keeping our faith intact during these formative years. Here are some ideas and, hopefully, some practical tips to use along the way.

Be Child-like vs. Childish

Jesus clearly talked about not inheriting the Kingdom of God unless we become like a child.

Yet over your years in college, so much emphasis gets put on trying to figure out what it means to become an adult. Most popculture, secular sources will focus on attainment of career goals, of material gains and successes. These things often take the place of the “heart work” that is needed to transition into adulthood. As a result, we end up “postponing” that passage into adulthood for a series of reasons.

Brothers and sisters, adulthood is about many things; but ultimately, it is about coming to full maturity in Christ. It’s about doing whatever it takes to inherit the Kingdom of GOD—not of man. This Kingdom is about satisfaction in Christ and coming into the fullest expression of us in Him. Jesus said, “I am the vine, you are the branches. Remain in Me…” When you are a child, you are completely dependent on your parents for everything. This is completely countercultural to a society that tells you to fend for yourself. But to learn to depend on God is at the foundation of what it means to be a Christian.