Dear Worldly One,

“Do you think you can write something on teens and the church?”

A friend messaged me this a day ago, she went on to explain that she knew many Christian teens who were struggling with wanting to be like Christ but also wanting to experience the “teenage dream” shown in movies, on Instagram, and other social media platforms. Teens that want to follow Jesus but also struggle to not follow the latest immodest fashion trend in order to be popular and to fit in.

At first I titled this post “Dear Worldly Teen,” but I have changed it to “Dear Worldly One,” because this doesn’t just apply to teens and I personally am put off when things are directed solely at teenagers because too many times people insult our age group and our intelligence by dumbing things down for us. 

Please read these next few lines carefully, this is important to understand: 

If you’re a middle schooler reading this, you are smart enough to understand and obey the Bible. 

If you’re a teen reading this, you are smart enough to understand and obey the Bible. 

If you’re a college student or college-aged person reading this, you are smart enough to understand and obey the Bible. 

If you’re middle-aged and reading this, you are smart enough to understand and obey the Bible. 

If you’re a little bit older than middle-aged and reading this, you are smart enough to understand and obey the Bible. 

YOU are smart enough to understand and obey the Bible.

And I pray that somehow this little blog can help you along on your journey.

 

“Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”-1 Timothy 4:12

You aren’t just able to understand the Bible and obey it, but you also have the ability to be an example, and that’s what we should all be striving to do, no matter our age. 

So, Dear Worldly One, 

 

Why are you trying so hard to be accepted by the world? Don’t you know that Jesus Christ was rejected by men? 

 “He came unto his own, and his own received him not.”-John 1:11 

(Read also Isaiah 53). 

“If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.”-John 15:18

Dear Worldly One,

I’m sure your mom also asked you the “if your friends jumped off a cliff, would you?” question numerous times, but I’m here to ask you a different one today:

If your friends walk down the wide path leading to hell, will you follow them? Or will you follow the One who died so you could live? 

“In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.”-2 Thessalonians 1:8-10

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”-John 3:16-17

Dear Worldly One, 

“No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”-Matthew 6:24

The word “mammon” is the greek word “mamonas” it means wealth, materialism, and confidence.

What are you placing over God? 

“So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.”-Revelation 3:16

Be all in or all out, choose today. 

 ^“But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;

Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.”-1 Peter 1:15-16

 

Dear Worldly One, 

The Bride of Christ should not be flirting with the world. 

“Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.”-James 4:4

 

“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.”-1 John 2:15-17

Dear Worldly One, 

Don’t you know that what Christ has to offer is so much better than the temporary pleasures of this sinful world? 

“Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.”-1 Timothy 6:17-19

 

Dear Worldly One, 

You can do better.

Do better. 

 

What are some ways you can work on being more like Christ today?

How to Deal With Birthday Blues

My little brother’s birthday is in a few days, even though he’s just turning four, he was sad to find out that he wouldn’t be able to go to Chuck E. Cheese on his birthday like we had been talking to him about for months.

I have friends who have birthdays next month and as of now, celebrations for them might not even happen at all now due to COVID-19.

Birthdays can be a time of sadness for many reasons.

Some people had a traumatic thing happen on one of their birthdays that now steals the joy from future ones.

Some people are away from friends and family on their’s and feel alone.

Others simply don’t like acknowledging the passing of time, which is understandable, it can be a scary and sobering thing.

I have a hard time around my birthday since it’s right after Christmas, a time where everyone is talking about visiting their relatives when my outer family is dysfunctional and the familial love everyone speaks of is not there for me or my immediate family. By the time my birthday comes, I typically feel very isolated.

What can you do when you’re feeling down about this?

 

    1. Think about how much you’ve been blessed with time

There’s so much in our lives to be thankful for, including our lives.

Jesus died for you and you can have hope and a future in Him.

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”-Jeremiah 29:11

You have so many great opportunities in this life to do so much good.

If you haven’t been the Christian you need to be, or if you’ve never obeyed the Bible, I believe that everyone gets a chance to do just that and the fact that you’re still alive means that you still have that chance. Read: Acts 2:38, Romans 10:9-10, Mark 16:16, Romans 6:1-18

 

      2. Be honest with yourself and others

It’s okay to feel sad and it’s okay to be open to others about how you are feeling. Your friends and family want to be there for you in the hard times, but you need to let them know when you are going through those times.

The phrase “Happy Birthday” doesn’t mean you’re obliged to be happy on yours, it simply means that we are happy to know you, we are happy you exist, and we are happy that even though life can be hard and painful at times that you haven’t given up and are still here with us.

“For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.”-Psalm 30:5

Happiness fades, but in God, we can have peace and joy.

“Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.”-Romans 15:13

      3. Make a list of all you have to be thankful for

My mom use to make me do this all the time when I was down and taking my life for granted, it is a great reminder of how much we have and how much beauty there is in life.

 

    4. Focus on what you can improve this year of your life

Who says that New Years is the only time to make goals?

Taking the time on your birthday to look at yourself in the mirror and thinking about your priorities can be a productive way to make your birthday about more than just loneliness or any other negative emotion.

If you’re reading this and your birthday is coming up, happy birthday! I’m sorry if you are feeling down about it, I know how hard it can be to focus on the positive instead of the negative, but you are so much stronger than you even know.

As someone who also struggles around and on their birthday, we both need to focus on being thankful in this time, it will be hard, but we are both capable of it. You are not alone.

^“In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”-1 Thessalonians 5:18

I am thankful for your life and I know so many others are as well. ❤

Do you also have a hard time on your birthday?

How do you deal with “birthday blues”?

 

Random Thoughts + Two Things To Keep in Mind

Hey all.

I’m not sure what to write for today, I guess this post is just me reaching out in the only way I really can right now: virtually.

How have y’all been holding up? 

Social distancing has made me doubt myself as an introvert because I am straight up not having a good time and I miss being around people without everyone being super cautious and withdrawn. When I said I needed alone time, I meant that I needed one day out of the week with no plans, not the other way around.

feat. me trying to stay calm and not panic although everyone is now panicking

Also, so many things are being canceled, but God’s love for us won’t be canceled, and we have no more excuses now to not spend time in His word, so that’s a positive.

My mom and I were talking about the outcome of social isolation in terms of technology.

Either, people are going to become even more dependant + addicted to social media, or they’re going to realize the need for real human interaction and relationships.

I truly hope it’s the later for the world, but if you’re reading this, remember to build relationships in real life.

The two things that I have been trying to keep in mind during these uncertain times that have helped me are: 

 

• How blessed we are to have a Creator who sent His Son to die for us and to want a relationship with us 

 ^“O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good; for his mercy endureth forever.”-1 Chronicles 16:34

“Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.” -1 John 3:1

• That we need to look outside ourselves 

“With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;” –Ephesians 4:2

It’s so easy to be selfish in times like this and not take a second to see the full picture.
We need to stop focusing on ourselves and our needs and start focusing on others and their needs, especially in uncertain moments in life like these.

“This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.”-John 15:12

Be a listener, send a message or letter of encouragement to someone, be there for others despite the fear going around at the moment.  

Let’s take these next few slowed down weeks as a time to work on becoming better.

Let’s work on stopping our lives from being about ourselves and start focusing on God, His Word, and others.

What are you learning/working on?