Okay, so it's safe to say that sin is all around us. Whether you're an adult or a child, no matter the age, you can be tempted by sin. There's sin on tv, in movies, even just walking around your town you probably see sin. And for some reason... Society has just begun to accept this.... Society has accepted it so much that the church has accepted it as well... My heart has been heavy for awhile about this subject, and I don't think I'm the only one.
So, for those of you who don't know, I am a teenager, and still in high school. My school is pretty average, it has a diverse group of students and tons of clubs and activities to join. It also has the normal AP and dual enrollment classes, as well as the sports teams that everyone loves. One thing that it doesn't have, however, is an entire student body of "self thinkers" per say.
I genuinely love my school and the people in it, don't get me wrong, but I don't believe that all of our students think for themselves. They are influenced by not only their friends, but also by the fast world around them. Between twitter, instagram, tumblr, and Friday night football games or bonfires, the people at my school see a lot of different sides of society. And I know that this is the way that just about every school nowadays is.
There are so many temptations in the world, many of which we don't even realize we're being tempted with sometimes. For instance, social media. Yes, some people can use it for good (for example: Christian anons & personal accounts that glorify God and all things that are good), but some people do not do that. Some people simply use social medias as an outlet for negativity, misery, and sucking people into sin without even realizing they are doing it. As I scroll through my timeline most days, I cringe at the lack of joy. The joy that our generation once had has been replaced with depression and negativity. Most people are not truly happy with themselves. I truly believe that this is due to one of two things. One, someone has told them that they are not good enough, or that they are irrelevant to everyone. I see these things so often, and it genuinely hurts my heart. These people are so sweet and beautiful, and have a purpose, but they are depressed because of their situation... I just wanna give you all virtual hugs 99% of the time!! Is that possible? I wish! Or two, they are not living the way they want to be. Either stick in a rut because of their friends and what they will say, or running from something, these people are not happy. And that is so heartbreaking. I mean, life is a gift! I would hate for us to be wasting it! Of course, life won't always be perfect, and you won't always be "on top of the moon" but trying to remain positive despite the world's negativity is always a good thing.
Another temptation would be the obvious one: peer pressure. This is one of the biggest things I see people at my school deal with, and even I deal with on a daily basis. Some people may say "oh it's easy, peer pressure isn't that bad." I am not one of those people. I know for a fact that my friends can influence my decisions or my thoughts on some subjects. This is why I've started to do my best to choose my friends carefully. I once heard that you are like the 5 people you spend the most time with... That really hit me in the face the first time I read it, and that still rings true to me today. I dont want to be that person who can't make their own decisions, or who is controlled by their peers. I am my own person, and God gave me my own mind for a reason. I am not going to give someone else the satisfaction of controlling what I think or do, and you shouldn't either.
Something that goes along with that, is the pressure from the world. The pressure to drink, the pressure to date a new person every week, the pressure to give up yourself to anybody.... It's so sad to me that this is what society has morphed into... I just want to say that as clique as this sounds, noone's opinion of you matters except God's. And God says to think of pure things, and that your body is a temple, and that you are LOVED by HIM and that is enough!! He died for YOU so that you can be HAPPY!
So, if your "friends" rag on you for going to church, or for caring around your bible, they probably are not your true friends. If they constantly tear you down and make you feel unworthy... They probably arent your real friends. Real friends will get into fights with you, but you will work it all out eventually. They will make you feel good, lift you up, and hold you accountable to God! And you will do the same for them! Same goes for relationships, if your boyfriend or girlfriend doesn't love God... It will not work. The bible tells us DO NOT be unequally yoked! Don't date someone expecting them to change, because people don't change unless they want to. Let God deal with them, don't worry about "missionary dating."
Basically, what I'm saying is, there are so so so many temptations in our lives today, temptations that I really wish we could just make disappear, but we can't. We just need to stand up and be bold for Christ! Do what's right, and you will be rewarded one day! So what if people call you a "Jesus freak"? Just reply "thank you, I'll be praying for you." and move on with your day. (Quick story time:There was a boy at my school who started carrying his bible with him everyday, and people would make fun of him. He was a sophomore in high school at the time, and he would bring it to lunch and put it on the table to read. One day a girl looked at him and said "why do you bring your bible to school? Lame." It made me so proud to hear that he turned right around and said "well.... Why don't you bring your bible to school? Where's your bible at? Bring it next time, we can read it together." He didn't turn around and argue back or anything, just responded in a way that got his point across. Ever since I heard that story I've wanted for God to give me that kind of boldness. The kind that makes me stand up and respond in a Godly way rather than shriveling up or feeling defeated. We are MORE than conquerors through Him!
So, go out, and be BOLD. Stand up for what you believe in, and reach out to this lost and dying world. You never know what kind of impact you will have on somebody.
Thank y'all so much for reading! Hope you have a blessed week! :)
-Xoxo, @InfiniteFaith17
