How I Found God Again
I was born and raised Catholic, always identifying with the faith. I went to church, was baptized, and participated in religious traditions, but I never fully leaned into God, especially during difficult times. When I faced challenges, like not receiving my IB Diploma in high school, I focused inward — blaming myself, analyzing my mistakes, and trying to fix everything on my own. In hindsight, if I had leaned into God more, I would have found the peace and guidance I desperately needed.
Fast forward to college and then dental school — where the workload was overwhelming, the exams and lab practicals relentless. At first, I tried to handle everything on my own, keeping my struggles bottled up. Even when I started being more transparent, I was still focused on what “I” needed to do to fix things. It wasn’t about “we” — me and God — it was all about “me”.
It’s crazy how easy it is to thank God when things are going well, but the moment life takes a turn we didn’t expect, we become consumed with our own efforts. I realized that in my pursuit of handling everything myself, I was losing my sense of purpose. When you lose your purpose, everything feels like a waste of time. In school, this translated to seeing my classes as meaningless, which led to a lack of motivation, decreased effort, and ultimately, lower results. My grades weren’t as good as they could have been, not because I wasn’t capable, but because I didn’t align my studies with a greater purpose.
That’s when I decided to attend a Bible study, and it completely changed my life. At that time, I had stopped going to church regularly, always telling myself I was too busy. But through Bible study, I finally started understanding scripture in a personal way. For the first time, I saw how certain Bible verses applied directly to my life. Before, I went to church just to check off a box — praying while my mind wandered to my school workload. But in Bible study, I began to truly connect with God’s Word.
This experience gave me a renewed sense of purpose. The Bible study, organized through a school-affiliated club, helped me see beyond exams, grades, and school stress. I realized that even if I wasn’t excelling in school as I had hoped, it didn’t mean my efforts were pointless. God had placed me where I was for a reason. Just because others seemed to be doing better or because I felt like I was underachieving didn’t mean I was in the wrong place. I had fought hard to get where I was, and God had a purpose for me there.
With this fresh perspective, I found new motivation — even on days when I didn’t feel like studying or attending class. Reconnecting with God, joining a church that truly spoke to me, and finding a faith-based community gave me a renewed passion not just for school, but for life.
If you’re starting to reconnect with your faith, going back to church, or beginning your journey with God, I hope my story encourages you. Let me know in the comments how Bible study, church, or faith-based communities have helped you find purpose and direction. If this post resonated with you, feel free to share, and may you find strength in God’s plan for your life.
Stay blessed!
