Be a Devoted Christian Teenager

So you accepted Christ at a young age and now you feel kind of like Christianity was something for children. You think you've outgrown it and now it's time to find something new. You know, it's just lots of sheep and an old guy in a nightgown, right? Wrong! Christianity is a relationship with Jesus, the son of God. Sometimes teens feel really dedicated to Christ and doing things in church and at home, but once they hit school, it's back to being their old selves. Keep reading for how to stay devoted to Christ no matter where you are, and how to grow in Christ.

Steps

  1. Read! Let's say you get an e-mail from one of your close friends you haven't heard from in a while. What do you do? You read it, of course!
    • God wrote several letters to you, have you read them? Don't take out your dusty Bible and read it from cover-to-cover tonight - you'll never be able to grasp the right concept.
    • Read other books, like devotionals, that repeatedly talk about and quote the Bible; then you should read chapters of the Bible dealing with the issue in your devotional.
    • For an amazing reading plan and daily devotionals, try going to 1way2god.net
    • Girls: check out Point of Grace's book "Girls of Grace", which talks about God in every aspect of life, from family and friends, to boys. You can also try the "Faithgirlz!" series, which tells you how to stay close to God as you're growing up. For older teens, there is also the True Colors series by Melody Carlson. They're books that deal with common scenarios in today's society with a great Christian message. Look into them!
    • Guys: check out "Revolution Devotional".
    • A good standard of Bible reading time is ten to twenty minutes a day. No less. You can do more if you want, obviously.
  2. Experience! You can experience the power of God in your life and know the real happiness which is more than just a religious concept, but comes from having the Holy Spirit in your life. Then you can build up your faith by praying in the Holy Spirit.
  3. Fellowship! That word means a lot more than casseroles and fried chicken at church get-togethers.
    • It means conversation. It means praying together. It means talking about what God is doing in your life. It means building up others who feel down.
    • It means no gossiping! If you're a Christian (especially if you go to a public school), you need other Christians to help you out. You need other Christians to give you encouragement and to listen to you. You need advice, too. And you need to give it when you can.
    • A lot of public schools have very few devoted Christians, so the best place to start looking for some Christian friends, is, of course, church. Choose them wisely though, only the ones that look and act like they really are dedicated, not the ones that look like they only come because the youth group goes to Dairy Queen once a month.
  4. Learn! Once you become more devoted to Christ, things should become different. Like Steven Curtis Chapman says, "What about the difference? What about the change? What about forgiveness? What about a life that's showing I'm undergoing a change?"
    • It's time to show a change in your life relating to the opposite gender and keeping your integrity.
      • Guys, read Every Young Man's Battle: Strategies for Victory in the Real World of Sexual Temptation.
      • Girls, read Every Young Woman's Battle: Guarding Your Mind, Heart, and Body in a Sex-Saturated World.
  5. Live!! Be different in the way that you live life. Be mature and conduct yourself maturely.
    • This doesn't mean that you have to look totally different but it does mean that you shouldn't wear provocative clothing or shirts with pictures or messages that are contrary to a positive message. Listen to good music, and avoid any inappropriate videos. Use your best judgment.
    • The only way to truly live in a Christ-honoring fashion is to know Christ. You will never know him completely, on earth, but throughout life, by praying and reading your Bible, you can know him more.
    • Act the way Jesus did, and that's a life worth living, once you know Christ more than you did at first then you can understand how to live. Think WWJD (what would Jesus do)?

Tips

  • Never be afraid to confess your sins to God, even if you think that He will hate you and convict you to hell: He won't, because you confessed your sins -- and He has promised to never remember your sins against you.
  • You can plant seeds and water those seeds, but you can't force them to accept the seeds, to believe or to love God.
  • Just remember that you're not alone, and that exciting things happen with Christ if you just let him work in you.
  • Feeling like God is distant is the root of both being too busy and feeling like you're in a standstill in Christ.
  • Try not to preach to your friends too much. It's good to give advice with a Christian twist, but if you use it too much, they might think you're trying to convert them by arguing.
  • Serve others! Serving others strengthens your relationship with Christ, and shows that you are a caring person. try to help others as much as you can and God will bless you a lot!
  • Befriend other people who are Christian like you. It is much easier to devote yourself to anything when surrounded by like-minded individuals. Jesus says in Mathew 18:20 "For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst." Pray with your friends!
  • You may be inspired to be a more devoted Christian by examples of other young people who have been amazed and empowered by Jesus:
    • Connor was helped;
    • Simone was healed;
    • Amrita is the happiest person;
    • James overcoming illness and issues.
    • John saved despite a lost youth.
    • Joji was healed of a sports injury.
  • If you start to feel a little apathetic about God in your walk, know that all Christians go through stages of doubt and depression, but with the Lord's help, they can (and do!) escape them. Read this article about feeling too busy for God.
  • In addition to hanging out with Christian friends, subscribe to a magazine like Brio for girls, or Breakaway - for guys to help you go even deeper. Avoid magazines like J14, Cosmo Girl, etc. They tend to gossip too much, and they have lots of horoscopes, which is not good. Note that these magazines are no longer in print but the editor of Brio has a new mag called Susie magazine.
  • For biblical motivation, read the book of Acts. Of course, everything in the Bible is incredibly important and relevant, but the book of Acts has a truly inspiring effect on people who are open to the Holy Spirit.
  • Don't be afraid to express yourself. It's your duty as a Christian to do that. Your youthful days are one of the best times to do that. The lord says we should serve him in our youth not only when we are weak and weary and old and busy.

Warnings

  • Don't just listen to opinions, do this because you want to commit yourself to Christ.
  • Everyone sins at least once in their lives. It's a natural part of life to need forgiveness. But remember to watch the warning signs before you cross the road. You might not get hit by a car the first time (you might not get pregnant the first time; you might not get grounded the first time, etc.) but you are at total risk. Whether or not you get hurt the first time, the Lord has a good plan (forgiveness, with responsibility, the power of The Holy Spirit, the blessings of His love and grace with consequences).
  • Don't make the same mistake a second or third time. There's probably someone in your life who looks up to you so try not to set a bad example!

Things You'll Need

  • The following is an optional list of things to help you grow in Christ. These are not mandatory. If you like your own devotional better, that's okay, but check these out, for example search: Christian Teenager at www.amazon.com or at another online bookseller:
  • Girls of Grace book;
  • Revolution Devotional;
  • Lies Young Women Believe;
  • The Prayer of Jabez for Teens;
  • Girl Talk with God;
  • Every Young Man's Battle;
  • Every Young Woman's Battle;
  • Revolve (A cool Bible for girls), The 2007 edition;
  • And the Psalms and Proverbs edition.
  • Refuel (the guy's equivalent to Revolve)
  • Breakaway Magazine
  • Barlow girl sings awesome, Christ-centered music: Also, there are Krystal Meyers [1]; Relient K; Matthew West, MercyMe, and Rebecca St. James, and writer-singer Toby Mac.
  • "Authentic Beauty" by Leslie Ludy, Christian author -- and executive director of "Set Apart Girl" (http://setapartgirl.com), the online magazine for young Christian women[1]
  • "God’s Gift To Women: Discovering the Lost Greatness of Masculinity" by Eric Ludy, and for guys an awesome set of books about relationships, "When God Writes Your Love Story" -- and "When Dreams Come True"
  • The "One Minute Bible For Students"

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Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ Leslie Ludy - bestselling Christian author, speaker and executive director of "Set Apart Girl" (http://setapartgirl.com), the online magazine for young women (Christian)
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