Have you ever felt like you had to work to get people to like you? School, church, homeschool co-op, work—anywhere you go there are expectations to act a certain way, to say certain things, to not do this, and to definitely not do
that! You might feel like you have to guard yourself to make sure no one sees who you really are because they might not like that person.
Looking for approval is something we all do, but we often look for acceptance in the wrong places. When we focus on being the cool kid or being the teacher’s favorite or wearing the right thing, we sometimes forget we belong to Jesus, our loving King and the One who should be the center of every action we take. It’s so difficult to fight the urge to fit in because, even though our world says, “Be yourself” and “You’re perfect just like you are,” we still are constantly being judged and even rejected by others.
But why should we try so hard to fit in when God has called us to be different? In Christ, He’s given us a new identity as His children, and we belong to Him. When we focus on that truth, we don’t care how other people are acting. Because of the love Jesus gives us, we become focused on showing others His love and truth instead of worrying about what others think of us.
Teenagers especially have an opportunity to be a light to the world. Why teenagers especially? You’ve heard the stereotypes! *Teenagers are lazy. They just want to have fun and be cool. They are self-obsessed and addicted to their phones.*
But, in Christ, we can be the ones to break the stereotypes. We can be the ones who work hard and don’t care if other people think we’re weird. We can be the ones who are respectful, intuitive, smart, and helpful, putting others first and reflecting Christ’s truth and grace in every interaction (John 1:14). We don’t have to conform to the world’s expectations because we are being transformed to be like Jesus (Romans 12:1-2)!
• Have you ever felt pressured to look or act a certain way? How did you deal with it?
• Reread 1 Peter 2:9-12. What are some things that come with having our identity in Christ?
• How does knowing we are accepted and loved in Jesus affect the way we view others and what they think about us?
Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. 1 Timothy 4:12 (NIV)
What Do They Think?
January 24
January 24, 2020 • Leah Najimy
Flying Chariots
Kevin Zeller
The fleet of war machines hurtled through the air toward the city. The leader smiled fiercely, hands on the controls of his ship. “This is the greatest military power in the history of humanity,” he said to his officers, not caring if it was true. The leader’s ship went into a dive, and the fleet followed. The city darkened as the sun was blocked. Emergency sirens wailed, and fearful people ran from the streets. “It is high time this city fell,” the leader shouted, “laid waste like all the others! We will build a great empire, and nothing can stop us now! Nothing can stop this fleet!” The girl stood on the wall of the city, watching the approaching fleet. It filled the sky from east to west, and the noise of thundering rumbled her feet. Then silence. Great, whooshing silence. The girl gasped. The machines were plummeting from the sky, all at once in a great wave of wood and metal. The first struck the ground not far from the city wall, scraping up great piles of earth as the ships disintegrated with bright explosions. Soon the entire fleet lay in ruins, smoke rising up and up to the heavens. • What kinds of things do you put your hope in? • What kinds of technology or other manmade things do people place their hope in? • Reread Romans 8:22-28. As Christians, where is our hope? Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. Psalm 20:7 (NIV)
Found
January 30, 2020 • Hope Bolinger
If you’d told me I’d get lost in New York City, I’d have begged you to wake me up from my nightmare. But lo and behold, during my junior year on choir tour, with over one hundred students jam-packed into a few charter buses, I ended up lost in one of the biggest cities in the world. I and a handful of other friends followed a chaperone who, although they were invested in getting a picture with a person dressed up as Woody from Toy Story in Times Square, didn’t invest in a GPS. But when we realized the time—thanks to the handy dandy screens in the Square—we scrambled toward the sidewalks to get back to the bus for our next tour stop. None of us had a keen sense of direction, and the only ones with cell phones didn’t have our choir director’s number. It was a time before any of us had smart phones, so no luck in using a GPS. Swerving from street to street, I felt my chest contract as tears welled up in my eyes. *We’ll never get back to the bus. They’ll ditch us and pick up a couple of Broadway actors to take our place. I mean, there are more than one hundred students. Who needs a couple of spare altos and sopranos who can’t read a map?* At long last, our choir director called one of our phones (she must’ve gotten the number from another student) and discovered our location. She rushed over, directed us to the bus’s position, and made sure we climbed aboard before we took off to our next destination. I had never related to Jesus’ story of the lost sheep until that day. Especially knowing that our choir teacher would not leave until she had all of us, even having to ditch the bus to locate where we’d gotten lost. And man, oh man, did it feel good to be found. • Have you ever been lost before? What did it feel like to be lost? What did it feel like to be found? • Reread today’s Bible passage. Where do you see yourself in the story of the lost sheep? The one who is lost? One of the ninety-nine? To learn more about how we all need to be found by Jesus, check out our "Know Jesus" page. What man among you, who has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open field and go after the lost one until he finds it? Luke 15:4 (CSB)
Waiting
January 29, 2020 • Melissa Yeagle
Did you grow up playing “I Spy”? It’s a great game to play on long car rides. Because the hardest part of long car rides is the waiting till you get there. Waiting is never fun. As Christians, we have to wait for many things. We are waiting for Christ’s return, and, in the meantime, we often wait for answers to our prayers. A wise Christian once told me God always has one of three answers to prayer: yes, no, and wait. While we know God is good, waiting to see His answers and the unfolding of His promises is hard. When we are in the midst of waiting, we can trust that God is good and we can stand on God’s promises in Christ. One of those promises? God is so good that He is working all things—the good and the bad—for good for all those who love Him (Romans 8:28). And here’s some great news: God will never break His promises. We might have to wait for His timing, but He will always keep His promises. • Can you think of a time when God answered your prayer with a wait? • Why is it important to remember God’s promises when you are waiting for something? It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD. Lamentations 3:26 (NKJV)