Devotional for Potential New Members During Recruitment-
Some friends of mine shared with me this devotional for girls going through recruitment. I think you will find great thoughts and questions that anyone would find helpful! I wish I had this when I was going through rush (as recruitment was called back then!). If you know someone going through sorority recruitment, or has already has been through the process, consider sharing this post with them. Thanks friends for caring for these women and sharing this with me!
Dear Potential New Member,
Welcome to Texas A&M! Hopefully you have had a great summer. It has probably flown by, and now you are beginning a new phase of your life—college!
This upcoming week will be one of great fun and excitement and probably some anxiety as well. My hope is to encourage you as you participate in recruitment and as you transition to college. Cru exists as a resource for you while you are here at Texas A&M. No matter where you are in your relationship with God, I pray that you will use this devotional to grow in intimacy with Him, even as you are juggling and balancing so many new things. Recruitment week can be a stressful and confusing time, and I remember all the emotions I felt when I was in your shoes. This devotional is designed to help you reflect on God’s Word and His message of hope during this time when life can seem so uncertain. You may not be able to do the devotions every day, but do what you can—answer questions, read, think, and pray. I can’t wait to hear how God uses this in your life.
May God bless you richly during recruitment and throughout your years in college. Please know that there are people who are praying for you and are ready to help you take the next step in your relationship with God. I hope I get to meet you!
Sincerely,
Erin
Cru at Texas A&M (aggiecru.com)
Day One: “Who Can You Trust?”
Introduction:
As the week gets started, it would be good to take inventory of your emotions. How are you feeling about everything so far? What words would you use to describe your expectations? What are the things you feel most excited about? What might you feel anxious about?
Spend some time writing down some of your thoughts. Maybe call a friend. Here are some timeless words of truth that you can reflect on as you begin your journey into college this week.
Read:
Psalm 56: 10-13:
In God, whose word I praise,
in the Lord, whose word I praise—
in God I trust and am not afraid.
What can man do to me?
I am under vows to you, my God;
I will present my thank offerings to you.
For you have delivered me from death
and my feet from stumbling,
that I may walk before God in the light of life.
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight
In whom do you usually put your trust and hope?
According to these passages, where does the Bible encourage us to put our hope and trust?
How do these verses encourage you?
Pray:
Thank God for any ways that the passages might have encouraged you and ask God for His guidance during this week.
Think about it:
What is your purpose in life? How does that fit into sorority life?
Day Two: “Who Am I?”
Introduction:
This week you are surrounded by many beautiful, smart and outstanding women. You will probably be tempted to compare yourself to them. Your thoughts will go one of two directions: either you will feel inferior to them or you may feel prideful and that you are better than others. Either way is not based on truth, but circumstance. We must rely on something more consistent than our emotions to base our self-image on. Let’s look at what the Bible says about all of this.
Read:
Psalm 139
You have searched me, Lord,
and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
4 Before a word is on my tongue
you, Lord, know it completely.
5 You hem me in behind and before,
and you lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.
7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,”
12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.
13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
17 How precious to me are your thoughts,[a] God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand—
when I awake, I am still with you.
19 If only you, God, would slay the wicked!
Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty!
20 They speak of you with evil intent;
your adversaries misuse your name.
21 Do I not hate those who hate you, Lord,
and abhor those who are in rebellion against you?
22 I have nothing but hatred for them;
I count them my enemies.
23 Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.
What are some of the verses that stick out to you and encourage you?
According to the Bible, God created you! How does this passage describe that creative process? What does this mean to you? How does it make you feel to know that the God of the universe is so intimately involved in your existence?
Pray:
Thank God for the things that make you uniquely you! Ask God to give you an honest view of yourself in light of the His truth and the way He views you.
Think About It: Live honestly. Be yourself. Don’t hide behind what you think others want you to be. God created you just the way He wanted you… He adores you!
Day Three: “You can be part of a much bigger sorority!”
Introduction:
Why did you decide to join a Greek-letter organization? Are you seeking to belong to something bigger than yourself? We were actually created for community, so it’s natural to want to be around people who care about us. Your sorority will provide a place to form lifelong friendships. You may have already started some of those deep relationships with your Rho Gamma or girls in your group. Regardless of your reasons to go Greek, one thing remains true – there is still a sisterhood that is larger than that of any one sorority. Read these words from the Bible to find out more about the family you are invited to be a part of.
Read:
John 1: 12-13:
“Yet to all who received Him (Jesus), He gave the right to become children of God – children born not of natural descent, not of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.”
Who has the right to become a child of God?
What does it mean to be a child of God?
What relationship do children of God have to each other?
****Those who have made the decision to trust in Jesus for a relationship with God are part of a huge family! We are “sisters in Christ”!
Think about it:
What is the point of looking at these verses? How do they apply to you today?
Pray: Ask God to make it clear to you if and when you made a decision to become His child. Thank Him for this relationship.
If you are uncertain about whether you have made this decision, ask yourself- Do you want to make a decision to place your trust in Him? Take some time to pray and ask God to lead you. Talk to your Rho Gamma! Tell a trusted friend how you are feeling.
Day Four: “Eternal Perspective”
Introduction:
Do you have direction or peace about what house you are leaning towards? Why or Why not?
How can you know where you are supposed to be?
You may be feeling overwhelmed. “Where do I fit in? Who really wants me? Where can God use me?” Often we can lose perspective and then become anxious and confused.
Read:
2 Corinthians 4:18:
So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
What things are “seen” and temporary in your life and what things are “unseen” and eternal?
John 3:16
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
God and His love for His children are eternal and will last forever!
Think about it:
Remember that eternity with Jesus is far more exciting, worthwhile, and meaningful than any sorority. Keep it in perspective!
Pray:
Take some time today to tell God what you are thinking and feeling. Ask Him to comfort you and guide you through this process. Ask Him to calm your anxiety by giving you an eternal perspective on life.
Day Five: “Are You a Control Freak?”
Introduction:
One thing that makes this week so difficult is the fact that you can’t really determine what will happen. You can’t choose what houses will invite you back, so you don’t really have total control of what house you will end up spending so much time in for the next four years. It is overwhelming. I am sure you have felt the stress about not being in control many times before this, and you will feel it plenty of times during your college experience.
Read:
Philippians 4:4-6
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God
Jeremiah 29: 11-13
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
*How wonderful that He is in control, and He cares about everything in your life!
How does that make you feel?
Is it hard for you to let Jesus be in control? Why or why not?
Have you trusted Him with the outcome of your week? What other things should you trust him with besides sorority life?
Pray:
What are you holding on to that you need to let go of? Say a prayer and ask God to take care of those things instead of you.
Think about it:
How do you need to adjust your heart in order to release control to God?
Day Six: “You are Loved”
Introduction:
God created you. He loves you! He’s going to care for you. Don’t let a rejection from a house or your perceptions of the girls cause you to have doubts about God’s plans for you.
Can you trust Him?
Recruitment is nearly over, and can I share something most people don’t talk about? This week you have been through so many emotions and you are probably running on empty. You may be celebrating at the end of what has been the best week of your life but don’t be surprised if Bid Day is disappointing, awkward, or if you’re left wondering, “Did I make the right decision?” You are totally normal! You are not alone!
Read:
Psalm 103:1-5
Praise the Lord, my soul;
all my inmost being, praise His holy name.
2 Praise the Lord, my soul,
and forget not all His benefits—
3 who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
5 who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s
Zephaniah 3:17
The Lord your God is with you,
the Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you;
in his love he will no longer rebuke you,
but will rejoice over you with singing
Do you feel that God is pleased with you? For those who have a relationship with Him, He delights in you and has unconditional love for you! His approval is unchanging.
Psalm 23:1-3
The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
He leads me beside quiet waters,
He refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for His name’s sake.
Relax today, knowing that God is with you and provides for you.
Pray:
Pray for more of an awareness of God’s love and provision for you. Pray for God to give you close friends with kindred spirits in your house, dorm, classes and throughout your college experience. Pray also for God to guide you to a place where He is going to encourage you and to help you grow in your faith.
Think about it:
What are some things you can do this semester to make your relationship with God a priority while you are in college?
I’d love to hear from you. Please feel free to comment below or to contact me through the website below. I would love to grab a coke or coffee and hear how God has worked in your life this week. Also, I would love to offer some opportunities for you to continue to grow in your relationship with God.
