Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. – Romans 10:12 (NIV)

We’ve talked a lot this week about honor. We know that honoring our parents, teachers, coaches, and pastors is important. But what about friends and other students? Do we need to honor them too?

Yes, we should be honoring others as well. We should be striving to love others with God’s love and treating others with respect.

Honor isn’t something that’s complicated. It doesn’t mean that you have to treat every person like a queen or king and bow down to them or something crazy like that. Instead, it just means that you should be treating others with respect.

Your friends and students at your school deserve respect. They are all created in God’s image and have worth to God. They might not treat you the right way, they might not dress the right way. Those things don’t give you an excuse not to treat them with respect.

The Bible says we are to be honoring others. Even when they don’t do the right thing.

It’s not easy, but it is something you can do with God’s help. So today, examine your life. Are you honoring those around you? Are you treating them with respect regardless of how they treat you?

“Honor your father and mother”–which is the first commandment with a promise–so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” – Ephesians 6:2-3 (NIV)

This week, we’re going to be talking a lot about honor. And if you’re honest, when you read this Bible verse, you probably secretly groaned a little. Honoring parents isn’t something that’s fun to talk about.

What does it mean to honor someone?

Webster’s Dictionary says this, “to regard or treat (someone) with admiration and respect : to regard or treat with honor”

When we honor someone, we treat them with respect. That doesn’t mean that that person is perfect. It just means that you respect a person and treat them well.

Today’s Truth – God wants things to go good for you, that’s why He tells you to honor

God tells us to honor others because He wants good things for you. It’s true, God wants your life to go good. When you honor others, it causes things to be better for you.

So today, ask God who in your life you can begin to show honor to. Not because that person is perfect, but because it’s the right thing to do. Choose to practice honoring others today!

I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. – 1 Cor 11:27(NIV)

Paul knew what it was like when things got tough. He went through a lot of really hard things. Yet in the middle of all that, he kept his focus on Jesus. Even when he had every right to want to give up and call it quits, he didn’t. He stayed firm in his faith.

In our lives, we might get upset and feel like things are tough. Maybe the pressures of finals seem really hard. You might have three school projects due on Friday and getting them all done feels overwhelming.

Life comes with pressure. Hard times do come.

The question is, what do you do in difficulty?

Do you give up? Do you blame God? How do you handle the tough things that come your way?

One thing you can do is to be like Paul. He found peace and joy in Jesus. Things might be difficult, they might be crazy, but you can be at peace. Keep your eyes on Jesus and you’ll find that if your focus is Him, your life can be at peace regardless of what is going on around you.

Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. – Luke 12:22 (NIV)

There are so many things to worry about. It could be how you’re going to get into college. Maybe you’re concerned about your friends will think of you.

It’s so easy to let all the things around us make us upset and worried. Jesus challenged his disciples to not worry.

That’s easy to say. Don’t worry. But how do you really do it? Especially when you have every reason to worry.

Today’s Challenge – Don’t Worry.

Even if it would be easier to worry, challenge yourself to trust God. Don’t let worry stop you from enjoying life. Instead, know that God loves you.

He will take care of everything you need if you’ll simply trust Him.

So instead of letting yourself be worried, determine to put your trust in God. Know that God will always be there for you!

Many of your friends probably won’t make godly dating choices. They might choose to date someone who doesn’t love God as they do. Perhaps you’ll see a friend compromise sexually just to keep a relationship going.

If you’re going to make godly choices in who you date, you’re going to have to think differently than many people think. You’re going to have to look to what the Bible says rather than what others around you are doing.

Relationship Tip #5 – Think Differently

It isn’t always easy to go against what others do, but in the long run, it will save you lots of heartaches. Many of the things God tells us about dating isn’t to keep us from having fun, but rather to keep our hearts from being hurt.

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. – Proverbs 4:23

When you date, choose to get God’s perspective on your date. Choose to follow what His word says. You’ll have a lot less trouble and drama in your life if you’ll follow after God.

When you’re determining who to date, a good piece of advice is to just pray. God is so wise. He has good plans for you and your best interests at heart.

If you’ll just spend some time praying about your relationship, He will guide you on which way to go. He might tell you to not date someone. You may not know why but obey. God is probably trying to save you from heartache in the future.

Relationship Tip #4 – Just Pray

Spend time with God. Look to him for advice when it comes to who to date. Time spent in prayer is never wasted. Take some time and look to God to see what He would have you to do in your relationships.

Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. – Proverbs 3:6 (NLT)

You can avoid heartache and detours in life by seeking God in your decisions. He wants to lead and guide you. Choose today to let Him direct your path.

If you’d like to pursue godly relationships and healthier dating habits, check out our e-book, Date Smarter. It has 5 devotions, prayers and lots of great advice to help you date smarter.

Sometimes it can be really hard to want to commit to something. Maybe a friend invites you to do something Friday night, but you think maybe something better will come up, and so you have difficulty committing.

And while your plans for Friday probably don’t really make a huge difference in the long run, when it comes to the things of God, commitment is important.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. – Hebrews 12:1 (NLT)

If you’re going to live the good life that God has planned for you, you’ve got to commit to it. That means you’ve got to determine that no matter what things happen, you’re going all-in for God.

Even when things are hard. Even when you don’t always get it, remember that God is there and He’s for you. Commit to follow Him. Let Him lead and guide your life. Doing that will always bring you lasting peace and happiness.

I broke my arm really badly once riding my bike to school. To get the bone set, they had to place two screws in my elbow.

After I had surgery to set my bone, they wrapped up my arm in a big brace to help me from moving my arm and damaging my broken elbow further.

Today’s Bible verse talks about setting our hearts on things above.

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. – Colossians 3:1 (NIV)

When we set our hearts on something, we focus on it intently. The focus is so intense that we don’t allow any circumstances, situation or anything moves it.

We should be setting our hearts and minds so much on Jesus that nothing sways us. If we’re going to walk in the good things God has for us, we’ve got to make Jesus our focus above all else.

Today, if you’ve gotten your focus off Jesus, determine to change. Do what’s needed to get your focus on Him and what He’s doing and off yourself. God has good things in store for you if you’ll set your heart and focus on Him!

Have you ever taken time to think about the fact that God wants you to have a rich and satisfying life? God doesn’t want you just barely getting by, sad, troubled and unfulfilled. No. He wants you to have a rich and satisfying life.

But just because that’s what God wants doesn’t always mean that it will happen in your life. You have a role to play in it too.

The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. – John 10:10 (NLT)

You’ve got to choose to believe that God wants good things for you. Then you’ve got to participate in those plans.

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You’ve got to grab on to the promises of God and let those be more real to you than the problems you’re facing. God wants a good life for you. Will you choose to partner with Him? Will you choose to live a full and satisfying life knowing that God has good things in store for you?