“How do I look?” “Maybe I should say something so that I sound more interesting…” “I don’t like this joke, but I will laugh so I'm not left out of the conversation.” “I definitely don’t want others to think I’m boring.”
It’s not easy to be young today, and I feel a lot of pressure if I always want everyone to think well of me. I sense that what my friends say and think about me is really important to me, but what if that stops me from living the way God really wants me to live, a life where I can do exactly what God wants me to do, no matter what people will think of me?
What do I want, deep in my heart? Do I want to be completely free from all those thoughts about what the others might think about me?
God is for me!
God doesn’t want me to be bound by what people might think of me. He wants me to live a completely different life – a life where I am free to do and say just what He wants me to.
“That is, in Christ, he chose us before the world was made so that we would be his holy people - people without blame before him.” Ephesians 1:4 (NCV).
God saw me, knew me and loved me even before He made the earth. He wants me to live a life free from sin. This is the only life that can make me really happy and free. Just think to be able to stand blameless before God, every single day! If this is my focus, I have a totally different goal in life!
When God gets my whole heart, He can shine His light where there was darkness before. Where I didn’t know what to do, He begins to show me what I should do to be completely free from worry and fear of what people will say or do. God’s Word is my guideline, I should test my thoughts if they are according to God’s Word. And with God’s help I can reject all thoughts that are not good and pure and hopeful! Then I overcome!
And God really helps those who give their heart completely to Him. In Romans 8:31 it’s written, “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”
God is for me! Is there any reason then to worry about what my friends will say? Should I still be thinking about what others might think about me and how I look? Not at all! I can lift my head and live for God. He has more than enough power to help me, no matter who I am.
A true help for my friends
When I live for God, I can be a real help for my friends, because I have the best teacher in the world. When I let the Spirit lead me and show me what to do, I can learn to make good decisions and choices that will also be good for those around me. I know there is something more than just how things look on the outside. Think about how much that can help my friends!
When I believe in the living God, and do what He says and what is written in the Bible, I become a true example. The Bible writes about being a head and not a tail. Instead of following what the others do, I can follow Jesus in everything I do and think. Then I keep God’s commandments, and all His promises are mine!
“If you listen to these commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today, and if you carefully obey them, the Lord will make you the head and not the tail, and you will always be on top and never at the bottom.” Deuteronomy 28:13 (NLT).
He only wants to make me happy and free. First here on earth, and then later in eternity.