Back to School

    Going back to school can be a challenging thing for Christian teens. All Summer you've had the opportunity to strengthen your relationship with God. Now suddenly your thrown into this world where there is so much temptation to do the wrong thing because everyone else is doing it, and because you know others will judge you if you don't. Every year before school starts I tell myself, "This year will be different, I won't become a silent Christian this time!" Then school starts back and I'm doing good for about a week or two... Then it starts happening. I start gossiping and laughing at some of the dirty jokes I hear because it's what everyone else is doing and it's so easy to do along with them.

    This is my Senior year, my last year to every go to High School... This WILL be the year that I am NOT silent. I will stand up for what I believe in and I will share Gods love with every single person I come in contact with. "Fitting in" is not worth disobeying God and losing the opportunity to lead someone to Him.

    I know many Christian teens are going to go through the same struggle as school is starting back this year and I want to show you a few steps you can take to stay on track with God during the school year.

1. Don't be confined to your clique
      Chances are your "clique", or the group of people you hang out with, have the same beliefs as you and although it's great to be a good Christian example to your friends, how are you ever going to lead someone to Christ if you never stray from your group of friends? Now, I'm not saying that you should ditch your friends and find a completely new group, but just branch out a little. Talk to people you usually wouldn't talk to and who knows, God may just open up a door for you to show these people His love!

2. Pray ALL Day
      A few years ago I had gotten into the habit of praying at night before bed and only then. Let me just tell you, God is listening ALL the time. He wants you to be in constant contact with Him! By taking the time to pray throughout the day, you allow God to have more control of your life, therefor you're more likely to obey him because he is constantly on your mind!

Ephesians 6:18-19: “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel.”

3. Spend time with God each morning
      For this one you may have to wake up a little bit earlier, but I promise it won't kill you! Do your devotionals, or read scripture, or do whatever it is you like to do during your quiet time, first thing in the morning, before you do anything else. Pray each morning to let God have control of your day. Ask him to help you face any challenges you may face with His grace, and to let everything you do that day be for the glory of God. By spending time with God first thing in the morning your letting him be the start of your day, which will always lead to a great day filled with Gods love!

4. STOP Gossiping!!!
      This one is especially for the girls. As a teenage girl, I know how easy it is to talk about other girls. Do you really think God would want for you to talk about someone else behind their back? Heck no! Gossiping may seem like a small sin, but a sin is a sin no matter how big or small it may seem, and sinning leads you away from God.

James 3:6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

James 3:10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. 

5. Be Yourself
      Maybe none of your friends are Christians. Maybe your friends like to swear, or drink, or tell nasty jokes. Just because all of your friends are doing something and it may seem like the "cool" thing to do at the time, doesn't mean you have to do it too! Be yourself! Stick to your morals and what you like. Never do something you don't like just because people may think your cool if you do it. If that's the case you may need to find yourself some new friends!

6. Find an Accountability Partner 
      Having a friend that is at the same point as you, or further, in their walk with Christ is so important! I am SO lucky to have a best friend that I can go through my walk with Christ with! You need to find that partner and make a pact to set each other straight if one of you starts falling off the path. Lift each other up, and encourage each other to be better for God!

Hebrews 10:23-25 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

7. Don't be a Silent Christian
      It's so easy to just ignore the swearing and the dirty jokes and all the immoral things that happen everyday in High School, but that's not what God wants you to do. He doesn't want you to just sit back and watch it happen. He wants you to speak up for Him! Trust me, I know how hard it is to speak up when you think you may not have anyone else on your side, but you do. God will ALWAYS be on your side! If you have a hard time knowing what to say and how to stand up for what you believe in, pray and ask God to give you the words to say, and I promise he will provide!

8. LOVE
      It's okay if you aren't to the point yet where you can just go out and witness all the time. You have to build up to that point, but what you can easily do to show God to others is very simple. LOVE. By loving others and being kind even when it may be hard, people can see that you have Christ in your heart and that's a great way to start out showing Gods love to people!

Matthew 5:16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

9. Think Before you Act
      Before you do absolutely anything at all just think, "Is this something that God wants me to do?" or, "Will this bring glory to God?" It's such a simple thing to do, but it can really effect the way you act and the way you live.

10. What Comes in Always Comes out
         This is something you need to be aware of not only at school but constantly! The things you hear or see have a really big effect on the way you act. Everyone knows the old Sunday School song, Be careful little eyes what you see. That song has so much truth to it. When you listen to music or watch shows that swear or glorify sex, drinking, and drugs, all of that stuff stays in your mind! It becomes the way you think and eventually becomes the way you act! I'm not saying that if you listen to music that talks about doing drugs your going to become a drug addict. I'm saying you'll slowly start to accept that stuff, and the more you surround yourself with it the more it becomes okay! And that's NOT okay! It's not hard to avoid that stuff. Make a few simple changes. Listen to K-Love in the car instead of your normal station. Be wary of what you watch and turn it off if it's too bad. You know what's right and what's wrong so guard your mind of what's wrong!

Proverbs 4:23 Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.

    High School is a hard place to be a Christian, but it's also a great place to be a witness! So with all of that being said, Good Luck! Always remember that God is on your side and I'm praying for every single one of you going back to school in the next couple of weeks!