Honoring God as a Teenager - Emily Rose
Throughout this series, Jon has been preaching through the book of Colossians. The last few weeks have been very direct messages to parents and children and the relationshipthey have. Today being Youth Sunday, it only seems fitting for us to look at how to honor God as a teenager.
When I was a junior in high schoolI felt like in order for me to be happy,I had to be skinny. So I started losing weight so that I could be super skinny. I would eat very little and then run anywhere from 5-10 miles a day. So yes, I was still feeding myself, but not the amount my body needed when you run that much. SoI started losing weight, and people were noticing and saying stuff to me. But it wasn't what I wanted to hear. They were being very negative about me losing weight andI really didn't understand why. They would say stuff like, "Emily, you are looking really skinny." Or, "Why don't you ever hang out with us anymore? All you do now is work out." My attitude also changed. I was grumpy all the time. Never had any fun. I would get irritated very easily and always be tired. I was NOT happy at all. I went from being happy and having God as my center, to being miserable and having me as my center.
Happiness and fulfillment come from living the way God desires.
WhenI was focusing on God,I was happy and fun to be around andI loved life. But whenI was focusing on myself and what I wanted,I wasn't happy at all. Colossians 3:2-4 (NIV) tells us, "Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory."
If we set our minds on earthly things, then our actions will play off of those thoughts. You have control of your thoughts. The more you think about something you are going to do, the better chance you have of doing it. There have been so many times whenI will be watching television andI will see a commercial for Applebee's. Well a few days later, my friends will call and say, "Hey. Want to go out for dinner tonight?"I will say yes and they will ask whereI want to go. So then I remember the Applebee's commercial and I'll say, "Let's go to Applebee's. I saw a commercial, and they have some good deals going on."
Well, the reason I thought of Applebee's is because I saw the commercial and every time I would get hungry I would think, "Oh, Applebee's sounds so good right now."I was focusing on Applebee's because of the commercial I saw. It is the same thing when you are focusing on either earthly desires or on things above. Your actions will play off of this. If you plan to fail, then you have a much higher chance of failing than if you plan to succeed.
What can we do to allow ourselves to think on things above?
Well, we can spend time with people who are going to have positive influences on our lives, like Brad and Christen, or a good church friend. Having an accountability partner is always a good idea. Someone you can go to and tell the absolute truth to, and they can encourage you. And then of course, reading your Bible and spending time in prayer. The more you spend time with God and focus on what he wants you to do, the more likely you are to follow after him instead of following the negative influences.
How do you change your thinking? Learn to focus on what is good and right. Focus on what God is calling you to, not what the world is tempting you with. Colossians 3:5-11 (NIV) tells us, "Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, whichis idolatry. Because of these the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off yourold self with its practices and have put on the newself, which is being renewed in knowledge inthe image of its Creator. Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all."
God calls us to be away from these evil desires. He desires something much greater than what the world has to offer. But in high school, that can be hard. "All my friends are doing it. It can't be that bad!" "I just want these kids to like me."
God has good reasons for calling us from evil desires.
But God calls us away from these things for a reason. When you were little, your parents always had rules for you to obey like,"Don't play in the street." You may not have understood why you couldn't play in the street when you were four years old, but know you understand. Your parents were looking after you. They knew that you could get hurt if you played out in the street. Well, God is doing the same thing. He tells us to stay away from these things because he knows that we will get hurt. He sees the danger that waits if we choose to play in the street. Because the worldly desires are so appealing to us, it can be difficult to stay focused on what God's desires are for us.
For example, the teenage girlwho thinks that she has to sleep with her boyfriend to feel loved. In the moment, she may feel like this is what she wants and that she will be happy if she sleeps with him. But the truth is that she will be hurt. She won't be fulfilled. She is no longer pleasing God at all. Her own desires have gotten in the way. Now she feels even more broken than she did before she slept with him. Why? Because she had things out of focus. She allowed what she thought she wanted and what he said he wanted to take priority over what God was calling her to. God sees this pain, and that is exactly why he doesn't want us to be sexually immoral. We not only carry the baggage and pain with ourselves, but with every relationship after it. We may not see why God only wants sex for the marriage bed at the time, but when you get married and you have to tell your husband or wife about all those others from your past,I am sure you will understand then.
So how does God want us to be?
Colossians 3:12-17 (NIV) says, "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."
This is who God wants us to be. Someone who is kind and patient. Someone who is forgiving and loving towards everyone. This is what God wants. Why? Why should I act like this when I can be popular and have sex and party wheneverI want? Because of the reward that is spoken about in Colossians 3:23-24 (NIV). "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance form the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving."
Our reward in heaven is so much more desirable than anything here on earth. If we serve God and do what he has called us to do, then our reward will be far greater than anything we can hope for or imagine. We are living for him, not for anyone here on earth. We aren't going to be on this earth very long. It may seem like forever, but we can't even imagine forever.
Our citizenship in heaven.
Philippians 3:17-21 (NIV) tells us, "Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power than enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body."
In this passage God is talking about our citizenship in heaven. How our bodies will be like his glorious body. How awesome is that? To have a body like Christ. This is our reward, to spend eternity in heaven with Christ. Our reward is to have the best life now, without pain and consequence of sin.
God wants us to be happy.
In high school you may feel like God wants you to be miserable, but he doesn't at all. He tells you these things because he loves and cares about you and wants the best for you.Can you honestly say that the people that are tempting you to drink, smoke, or have sex are your friends? That they really care about you and love you like our God does? It's a choice you have to make. You can't be half and half. It's one way or the other. Who will your focus be? Will it be set on your earthly desires that will only please yourself? Or will it be on the one that created you, the one that made this world, the one that loves you more than anyone here on earth can, the one named Jesus? It's a choice you have to make. Who is your focus?
Daniel Thompson: The Male Teen's Perspective on Honoring God.
As Emily mentioned, we are looking at how to honor God as a teen. I'm going to look at how to honor God from the male teen's perspective.
When I was in high schoolI argued quite a bit with my mother. I was a very strong-willed and bitter teenager who did not want to listen to anyone tell me howI should live out my life. I especially found it hard to listen to my mother's advice as a teenager, whenI felt as ifI was staying out of trouble for the most part. It is really hard to understand the motives that your parents have for you when you really haven't lived the life experience that they have. What made this all the more frustrating, this entire idea of my parents being able to tell me what to do, was the biblical backing that they had in being able to have a control overme.
A lot of the time it seems as if as teenagers, and specifically male teenagers, have a hard time submitting to the will of their parents.I remember in the middle of one heated argument with my mother, she pulled out her Bible and started running off all kinds of verses that showed thatI should honor her as my mother and for the protection she was placing over me. As the spiritual head of the household, parents have spiritual dominion over their children. By submitting to your parents' authority, you can be better protected from the spiritual warfare that Satan wages for your soul. Today, one of the key verses that I have for you to think about is Colossians 3:20 (NIV). "Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord."
It was kind of my mom's way of getting me to shut up. As soon as she pulled that card on me, the argument was over andI might just stomp away and leave the room. There had been instilled in me such a strong Christian background that no matter what,I could not deny that God wanted me to obey my parents. Something has changed sinceI have been away at college for a year, though. Now whenI think about the authority that my parents have over me, and what the Bible has to sayabout obeying my parents,I am finding out that submitting to that authority is more than a guideline and a rule over me. That very verse and command by God is a great blessing.
Show patience and self control when dealing with your parents.
In showing patience and self control when dealing with your parents, not only are you honoring God, but you are also benefitting yourself! There are so many times thatI can look back uponin my life whereI argued with my mother over one thing or another, and every single time I can look back and say that my mother was right. She is so much more wise and experienced thanI, and I should not have taken advantage of what a blessing she was in my life.
But asI look back uponmy childhood and see clearly the situations thatI have been through,I want to make it clear to you all that by obeying your parents, you are only doing yourself good. The authority that my parents have placed over me during my life to guide me in the right direction has greatly and directly influenced whereI am in mylife today. One prime example of this in my life was after my senior year ofhigh school when my mom urged me to go and help at Niners camp at Lake Springfield Christian Assembly. If it was not for that urging my mother gave me to go to church camp this past year,I can tell you thatI would not have had the summer that I had that led me into committing to ministry. When you think about it, parents aren't always trying to directly influence the decisions that you make, butthey are trying to help pave a path that gives you the opportunities to make decisions that can greatlybenefit your life.
So in the wake of all that I have just said concerning the good nature of what good parents have in mind for the children, I would like to present an idea of how to be grateful to your parents. The section of scripture I want to use to describe this is found in Colossians 3:12-14 (NIV). "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity."
Honor your parents in all circumstances.
On top of appreciating your parents when they have been wonderful to you, I believe that it is important to honor them under all circumstances, for through this action, you are glorifying God. It is important to honor your parents even when you feel as if they may have let you down or have caused you pain. In a time where so many families are broken when children are young, it is very important to still honor your parents in the midst of the struggle of having to live under two households. In many cases one parent or the other may have been the cause for which the family has separated, and that may cause resentment from a child toward one or both of his parents. But as sons and daughters, we are to forgive as God forgave us in our sinful nature. Moving on from that situation will help build character and will help you to move on with your life as a follower of Christ.
Although honoring your parents is a vitally important part about growing up, I'm sure everyone understands that this does not encompass the full battle of growing up as a Christian. Honoring God also involves the way in which we act day by day, and it involves how we deal with the trials we face. These trials can be represented by the way we interact with other people who are our age, to facing the countless temptations that we encournter throughout normal days. No one ever said that honoring God was going to make all temptations go away, so how can we live in a manner that honors God and shows others, particularly our peers, where we stand morally?
Our lives start to change as we focus on God.
When we truly commit ourselves as young people to the will of Christ in our lives, we start to change without really doing that much differently. In some ways it happens naturally. By focusing on things above and on God, our lives can be shaped in ways that we could never have thought of through our own work. My next text comes from Colossians 3:2-3 (NIV). "Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For your died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God."
The first step is setting your intentions above and not on the things of the earth. Setting standards for yourself and being stubborn about not giving in on them before you are tempted, will help you to not fall into temptation when it comes your way. After these standards have been set, the things of the earth and its evil desires seem to slip away or not have as great of an effect on believers.
Teens face many different dilemmas.
Colossians 3:5 (NIV) says, "Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry."
This passage is an outline of some of the problems that teens will face. In the face of all of the temptations surrounding sexual desires and the temptations of substance abuse, the most effective way to steer clear of these things is to have a mindset where your focus is on God. When your focus is on God, it is harder to fall victim to the footholds that these temptations may try to take in our lives. Having your heart rooted in scripture and knowing the type of standards that God has for us as his followers is a huge help in resisting temptation.
Colossians 3:16 (NIV) tells us, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God."
Teens can be powerful influences for Christ.
Once you have committed your thoughts and intentions to the glory of God, you can spread it to others as it is intended. In our youth we live some of the most influential years of our lives. We are not only here to grow individually, but we are here to spur on our fellow believers and to lead the lost to Christ. This goes along with the type of lifestyle we lead as well as facing our temptations and conquering them. When we do conquer our temptations, we begin to show others the positive evffects of living a life that is honoring to God.
Understanding that this time of life, the teen years, is paving a way for who we are to become, is very important. When we understand this and begin to mold ourselves to the plans that God has for us, we can ensure that once we are grown, our thoughts and praises will remain focused toward our God. My challenge to you is that you take this time of your life to start focusing on God now. His plan for each and every one of us is perfect, and I have no doubt that if you focus your minds and efforts toward God, that he will carry you to wherever you need to be. Through this, you will fulfill God's will, and glorify him as well.