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character

What Crayons Teach Us About Attitude

Posted on July 8, 2015

youth-devotion-on-attitude

Can you think back to when you were a little kid and loved coloring with crayons? How many hours did you spend doodling and filling the pages of your coloring book with your masterpieces. As a kid, coloring is a pretty fun way to spend your time.

Coloring is pretty great because it can teach you some things about attitude. When you color with crayons, you select the color you want to use and begin to color. That’s a lot like how attitude works. You can choose your attitude and how you react to situations. You can choose to always be upset and to dislike life, or you can choose to be happy.

Lots of times, we wait for everything to be perfect in our lives to be happy. We think that when we have more free time we will be happy. Or when we move out of our parent’s homes then we will be happy. If you wait for everything to be perfect in your life to have a good attitude, you will be waiting a long time.

Instead of waiting for things in your life to get better to be happy, why don’t you choose to be happy now? Just like you’d pick a color of crayon to color with, you can pick your attitude toward the things that happen to you every day.

I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. – Phil 4:11 (NIV)

Paul shows us here that we can be content in any set of circumstances. Whether you got the grade you wanted on your final, or didn’t make the basketball team, you can choose to be content. It might not come right away, and it might take some work, but you can learn to be content.

So the next time you’re coloring with a box of crayons, let it be a reminder to you that you have the power to choose your attitude. You can choose to be content, regardless of what is happening around you.

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3 Common Misconceptions About Normal

Posted on July 6, 2015

Common Misconceptions About Normal - teen, youth Devotion

Normal is something that we all fall into. We find that we want to wear certain types of clothes to fit in and look normal. We act certain ways or do certain things so that others think we’re normal. We take on the attitudes and thinking of those around us so that we seem normal.

Normal is the goal for most people. They don’t want to be perceived by others as weird, or be made fun of, so they act normal. This devotion isn’t going to tell you to do something weird like stand on your lunch table and scream at the top of your lungs to the entire cafeteria, but it is going to address some common misconceptions about normal in our lives.

  1. Normal is good.
    Many people believe that normal is good. That fitting in is what we should do and that we shouldn’t stick out or make a scene at school or our job. And that is mostly true. It is important that we act within the rules of society. However, what happens when normal says that making fun of someone is okay? Do you go along with everyone who is making fun of someone? Or do you stand up for them? What if normal says that having sex before marriage is okay? Do you go along with everyone else? Or do you do something that isn’t normal? There are times in our lives when normal just isn’t cutting it. As a Christian, you may be called upon to stand up for what you believe in. By doing that, you won’t be doing what others think is normal.

    Ephesians 4:32 “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”

  2. Normal is the goal.
    Lots of people strive to be normal. They want to wear what is normal, say what is normal, and do what is normal. If others think they’re normal then they’ve got it made.Normal however, isn’t the goal. You’ll never find happiness or fulfillment in just being normal. Life with God is a fun adventure, and God calls us to greater things than just fitting in and being normal.

    This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It’s adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike “What’s next, Papa?” – Romans 8:15 (MSG)

  3. Normal will get me where I need to go.
    Many people believe that normal will get them where they need to go in life. They believe that they will be rich, successful, and have a great life if they just do what’s normal.While you may get a lot of those things by being normal, its really important to be open to God’s leading and out of the box thinking. Many people who have really made an impact on their world have done things that were not normal!

[Tweet “Jesus calls us to live differently. We are to be full of life and focused on Him! – @studentdevos”]

Lots of people have tried normal, but normal isn’t working. Normal means you’re poor, you’re being mean to your brother and sister, and you’re living defeated. Jesus pulls us out of that life. He tells us that we don’t have to live a normal life. We can choose to put normal aside and live out of what the Bible says. We can live a life full of adventure, and making a difference in the lives of others.

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What History Tests Teach About Tough Times

Posted on June 24, 2015

Teen and Youth Devotion on Tough TimesTaking tests are never fun. Usually the night before a big history test is filled with lots of cramming and memorizing all the key facts in hopes of getting a good grade. Many times, studying involves staying up really late, hoping that by looking at your book a few million times those facts will stick in your head.

Then comes the moment of truth. On the day of the test, you find out if all your studying paid off. Tests like these aren’t easy. Each test comes with its set of facts, terms, battles, or important events. Its when you’re in the moment of taking the test, you really see if all your hard work studying paid off, or if you should have invested more time. On a test, you either know the answer or you don’t. There’s not really a middle ground. You either know the answers or you don’t. Its in the tests that you find out if you put in enough preparation. Like it or not, the time you spend studying before the test and memorizing the facts and terms makes a big difference in your test results.

Tests however, aren’t just something that happen in History class. They come to us in life too. Life hands us lots of tests. Sometimes they’re easy, but other times they’re really difficult. However, just like taking your history test, your preparation before the test makes all the difference. So what does preparing for a test in life look like?

Most of your preparation for life’s tests is by spending time reading your Bible and getting God’s word in your heart. God’s word is what will keep you anchored when things get rough.

I have treasured Your word in my heart so that I may not sin against You. – Psalm 119:11 (HSCB)

Making sure that you’ve got God’s word in your heart will help you when things get tough. When you study for a history test, you’re putting the answers in your head. Then when its time to take the test, you just have to recall what you studied. The same is true in the tests of life. Putting God’s word into your heart gives you answers to draw on when you’re faced with a difficult situation.

Tests and trials come to us all, but its what you’ve studied and learned before the test that keeps you going in the test. So don’t show up to the tests of life unprepared. Take some time to get God’s word into your heart. When you do, you’ll find that you’re ready to face anything that comes your way.

 Knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. – James 1:3

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5 Ways to Lose Friends

Posted on June 22, 2015

Teen Devotion on ways to lose friends

Getting along with people isn’t easy. As a teenager, you face lots of situations where your people skills are challenged. We’ve got a list of things in this devotion that are sure ways to lose friends.

  1. Mean Words – This is a big one. Its easy to let mean words slip out…especially in those heated moments while fighting with your brother or your mom. However, the Bible encourages us to think of others and to think before we speak.
    James 1:9 – “Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.” – NLT
    Begin to think about what you say and also think about the consequences of what you say. Your words can cut deeper than you realize, so decide speak words that build others up.
  2. Lack of discipline – developing discipline is hard. Its way easier to do just what feels good and not set any boundaries in your life, but discipline is important.
    A good way to grow in discipline is to find habits that you admire in others and learn from them. Decide to grow in discipline daily. Another good thing to do is to think about how you conduct yourself. The things you do now and how you treat others will effect what you’re doing five years from now.
  3. Disloyalty – No one likes someone that is two faced. If you’re acting one way around some people and the bad mouthing them behind their backs, you’re not being loyal. Choose to be loyal to your friends, family and authority figures. Don’t talk about people behind their back and choose to be loyal no matter what.
  4. Lack of tact – You can probably think of that person you know that just seems to have no filter on what they do and say. They don’t seem to know when to say things and when to hold back.
    Tact is important, so when you’re not sure why a person is acting a certain way, put yourself in their shoes. How would you feel if you had the same experiences that they had?
    Also realize that you need to have a relationship with someone to speak into their life. Don’t just start pointing out all their character flaws. Use tact when dealing with awkward situations.
  5. Lack of confidence – Many teenagers deal with low self-esteem. The thing to remember is that most of life isn’t all about you. You aren’t expected to be able to do everything well or have all the right things to say.
    Lacking confidence can really kill your friendships, it can cause people to not want to be around you or avoid you. Choose to believe what God says about you.
    Psalm 139:14 – “Thank you for making me so wonderfully complext! Your workmanship is marvelous – how well I know it!” (NLT)

 

These are just five ways that you can lose friends. If you’re guilty of one of them, ask God for His help in overcoming in that area. He can give you great ideas to help you kick the habit. Remember, God’s there to help you live your life each day, so go to Him to get the help you need to win in these areas.

Pray: God I thank you for your word. I ask you for your help in becoming better at dealing with other people. I know with your help I can become great at dealing with others. I ask for your wisdom and creative ideas for improving my people skills.

Listen: We Can Change the World – by Hawk Nelson

How To Be A Good Friend

Posted on June 17, 2015

Teen Devotion and Bible Study Lesson on Friendship

Being a good friend doesn’t always come easily. It can be easy to get wrapped up in life that we forget to touch base with a friend, or leave a friend out because we want to hang out with a new friend we made. Friendships aren’t always easy, and not all of them will last forever, but let’s look at the friendship of David and Jonathan in the Bible and see what the two of them can teach us about real friendship.

As soon as he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. – 1 Samuel 18:1

We can see from this verse that true friendship is loving the other person like ourselves. Jonathan loved David and would do anything for him. He was loyal and would help David whenever he needed it. Jonathan paints a picture of what true friendship looks like, its simply loving your friend like you would love yourself.

Another thing we can learn about friendship from Jonathan is that friendship isn’t jealous. Jonathan should have been in line to be king. His father was the king, and Jonathan was royalty. However, God had anointed David to be king instead. Jonathan could have been jealous of David. Instead, Jonathan did everything he could to help David succeed.

Then Jonathan told David, “I promise by the LORD, the God of Israel, that by this time tomorrow, or the next day at the latest, I will talk to my father and let you know at once how he feels about you. If he speaks favorably about you, I will let you know.
 – 1 Samuel 20:12

Here we see that Jonathan goes and finds out how his father feels about David. Jonathan protected David. He warned David that his father wanted to kill him. Jonathan showed true friendship by protecting David from harm.

How I weep for you, my brother Jonathan! Oh, how much I loved you! And your love for me was deep, deeper than the love of women! – 2 Samuel 1:26

When Jonathan died, David was very sad. David’s words about Jonathan show how much his friendship meant to David. He said that he loved his friend.

The story of Jonathan and David can show us a lot about being a good friend. Many times our relationships are based on what we can get out of the relationship. You might be friends with someone because they have a car and can drive you places. Or perhaps they have a lot of money and so you hang out with them for what they can give you. The story of David and Jonathan shows us that there is a deeper type of friendship. A friendship that is not based on what you can get from a person but out of love for that person.

Challenge yourself to not be a taker in relationships, but to love others for who they are and be a good friend!

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How to Be Happy – Part 2

Posted on April 22, 2015

Teen Devotion on Happiness

Do you ever struggle with being happy just as you are? Maybe you’ve got a big problem that’s just weighing on your mind. You might think that once that problem is solved, then you’d be able to be happy.

How do you get yourself to be happy regardless of what is going on around you? Well, let’s take a look at what the Bible has to say about happiness.

Rejoice in the Lord always- delight, gladden yourselves in Him: again I say, rejoice! – Philippians 4:6

This verse makes it pretty clear that it isn’t someone else’s responsibility to make you glad. No one else can make you happy and no situation can make you happy. In this verse, you are commanded (not merely encouraged) to rejoice and be glad! This verse encourages you to be happy no matter what you feel like, or what problems you might be facing.

I have a friend that tells any sad person they meet that they  “have 5 seconds to get happy!”

My friend’s advice to others is really pretty good. She knows that you just choose to be happy- one minute at a time. It’s so simple- and you can learn to train yourself to respond to everything with joy- being glad in Jesus!

So no matter what problems or situations that you’re facing this week, remember that you can choose your response to those situations. When problems or the stress of life tries to get you down, remember that you can choose to be happy!

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5 Reasons to Make Good Choices With Money

Posted on March 23, 2015

Teen Devotion, Youth Bible Lesson on Money

You might think that what you do with your money as a teenager doesn’t matter, or that making good financial choices is something you can think about when you’re older. Its easy to think that saving money and thinking about your financial future is something you can put off until you’re older and have a great job. However, its important as a teenager to start making smart choices with money right now. Here are a few reasons why.

  1. You want to be successful. – If you want to be a success in life, a great place to start is with your finances. Its easier to start on a path to financial success now because the habits you develop now set the tone for the rest of your life. Its much easier to start off now on a good financial path rather than to create bad habits that take time and hard work to break. Choose to not take the lazy and easy route. It will pay off in the end if you make good choices for financial success now.
    Begin as you mean to go on, and go on as you began, and let the Lord be all in all to you. – Charles H. Spurgeon
  2. You don’t want to live with regrets. If you make lots of bad financial decisions now, it can hinder your financial future. If you buy things you can’t afford, or rack up lots of debt, it will likely cause regret later in life. Choose instead to use wisdom when making financial decisions.
    The wicked man borrows and does not repay, but the righteous one is gracious and giving. – Proverbs 37:21 (HCSB)
  3. You become more desirable to the opposite sex. If you’re looking to get married one day, this is something you should think about. Your debt and financial choices will carry into your future marriage. If you rack up tons of debt and make a lot of trivial purchases, your future husband or wife will have to deal with those choices. If you want to be more attractive to the opposite sex, its good to be sure that you’re making sound financial decisions now.
  4. You show that you’re trustworthy. If you can be trusted with money, it shows that you can be trusted with lots of other things too. If you are prompt to pay people, and if you’re not owing lots of people money that sets you up to be someone that others feel they can trust.
    Whoever is faithful in very little is also faithful in much, and whoever is unrighteous in very little is also unrighteous in much. – Luke 16:10 (HCSB)
  5. You want to be well off financially.  If you want to do well financially, you need to start making good choices with your money now. The best thing you have going for you as a teenager is time. The crazy thing about interest on investment and savings accounts is how much it grows with time. The younger you start investing in your future, the more money you’ll make. Choose to make good choices now so you can be well off financially when you’re older.

There are lots of reasons why it makes sense to start making good decisions with your money as a teenager. Its important to begin good financial habits when you’re young so that you can reap the benefits when you get older. Choose to not take the path that seems easy, but rather put a little effort in to reap good financial rewards later.

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Tips for Successful Relationships

Posted on February 11, 2015

Relationships are tricky. Whether its a friendship, parent, boss, teacher, boyfriend, or girlfriend, it can be hard to know how to handle difficult relationships. How do you handle the parent that you don’t agree with? Or the teacher that rubs you the wrong way? Or the boyfriend that broke up with you for no apparent reason?

The book of Ruth offers some awesome suggestions for handing difficult relationships. Ruth found herself in a bad spot. Her husband died. She had to decide what she was going to do next. She chose to follow her mother-in-law to a new country. Ruth didn’t have to go, but she chose to. Then when they arrive in the new country, her mother-in-law wasn’t all that nice to be with. She was sad and depressed. Not the kind of person you’d respect and work hard for. Ruth did something amazing though, she stayed with her mother-in-law and stayed true to God.

But Ruth replied, “Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. – Ruth 1:16 (NLT)

There is an important lesson in here when it comes to relationships. Its this, respecting God and authority will help you out in the long run. That is exactly what Ruth did. She respected her authority, her mother-in-law. Regardless of Naomi’s attitude and outlook on life, she chose to respect her and stick with her. Ruth also chose to stick with God. She chose to serve God and follow after Him.

The awesome thing about these two decisions is how they brought Ruth success. Ruth ended up marrying a very rich and successful guy. She got an awesome outcome to her life’s story. And it all started with her simply respecting authority and God in her life.

Authority relationships in your life can be tough. It can be hard to respect those in charge of you. But its important to do. It can bring you into success in ways you’ve never imagined, just like Ruth.

The other thing Ruth did was to follow God. Her decision to follow after God wasn’t easy for her. But it led her into good things.

Look at your own life? Have you made the same decision Ruth did? Have you decided to follow God? No matter where that might lead you? Have you put your trust in Him? And have you been respectful of the authority that is in your life? Doing these two things will set you on a path to success that you’ve never dreamed of! Choose to follow God and respect authority.

Tips for Dealing With Stress

Posted on January 28, 2015

Life is busy. Each day you try to cram in school, sports, music, friends, family, job, and God. It can be quite the feat some days trying to balance all the things you do or should be doing. Most likely you’ve got pressure from your parents to do well in school, sports or music. You’ve got pressure from your friends to hang out with them, to dress a certain way, or maybe even act a certain way.

There’s lots of stress and pressures that come upon you each day. Stress is a part of life, but what are some ways that dealing with stress can be, well, less stressful?

Here’s a couple of suggestions for dealing with stress.

  • Rely on others. When you’re really overloaded with the pressures of life, its okay to ask for help. You can rely on others to help. It might be asking a friend to help you with your math homework. Maybe you could ask your brother to help you this week with your chores at home by walking your dog. Or perhaps you could ask your parents for some advice in managing all your tasks.
    It doesn’t matter who you ask for help, just remember, you’re not alone. There are people in your life that can help share the load. Don’t be afraid to ask others for their help or advice.
  • Rely on God. God didn’t put you on the earth to figure it all out on your own. He’s willing and able to listen and wants you to share with Him what you’re going through. Don’t be afraid to get open and honest before God. Share with Him your thoughts and get His wisdom on how to deal with the stress in your life.
  • Remove the extra stuff. Many times, stress comes by simply committing to too many things. You might have volunteered for the winter dance committee, the basketball manager, and spending time mentoring younger kids. While all those things are great, you realistically don’t have time to do them all. You may have to say ‘no’ to a few things that you want to be a part of.  When you do, you’ll free up more time in the day to do the things that are really important.
  • Determine real pressure. Make sure that if you’re feeling stressed that the pressure you feel is real. Perhaps you feel stress because you feel like your parents want you to do better at soccer. This might not be the case. Your parents may not be putting any pressure on you to do better at soccer. This pressure is just in your head and in what you think they want you to do. You’ve got to learn to separate the real pressure from pressure that is in your head.
  • Communicate with others. If you’re stressed and you simply have too much to do, communicate with others about it. For example, if you’ve got a huge project due on Monday and a huge band concert that you have to practice for on Saturday, let your teachers know. Sometimes, if you’ve got a good track record with your teacher, they may let you turn in a project a day late. Its worth communicating with others to see if there is a solution to your situation.
  • Find stress relievers. Find out what helps you de-stress. It might be taking a long bath, reading a book, or taking a bike ride. Whatever it is, be sure to carve out a few minutes each week to do it. Finding things that help you relieve your stress is really important.

These are just a few tips to help you deal with stress. Life is stressful at times, but its great to know that when you’re feeling the pressure you can always go to God. God is always willing and able to help you with the pressures of life. He’s able to give you the wisdom you need to get through any tough situation. So no matter how stressed out you feel, take comfort in knowing that God is there for you and cares about everything that you’re going through.

Now to Him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us – Ephesians 3:20 HCSB

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3 Resons To Keep Your Word

Posted on January 14, 2015

Devotion for Teens - Keeping Your Word

Don’t you hate it when people don’t keep their word? Maybe your mom said she’d take you for ice cream after school and forgot all about it. Perhaps you had a friend that borrowed money from you and said they’d pay you back the next day but never did. When people don’t keep their word, it can be really frustrating. Here are some good reasons to keep your word, even when it isn’t easy.

Keep your word even when it costs you” – Psalm 15:5 (Message)

  • Keeping your word pays off in the end. It probably doesn’t feel like it will pay off, but keeping your word will set you up for future success. It might feel like you’re not getting ahead when you do what you say, but if you keep your word, people begin to trust you. That trust will lead to you having more responsibility.
  • Keeping your word takes guts. It’s not easy to follow through with what you say. Sometimes, it means you end up having to do something you’d rather not do. Keeping your word isn’t for the faint of heart. It takes a person who is committed and is ready to do the right thing no matter how hard it might seem.
  • Keeping your word takes work. Its easier to not follow through and do the things you say you’ll do. It’s hard to keep your word. It also doesn’t happen right away. It’s a habit that you have to develop. Realize that learning to keep your word doesn’t happen overnight. Don’t become discouraged if you’re not perfect at it right away. Keep working on it, and you’ll get better the more you make it a priority in your life.

Keeping your word isn’t for the faint of heart. It takes guts and it takes work. However, keeping your word is something that will pay off in the end. You won’t have regrets or have to feel bad because you didn’t do something that you said you would do.

It’s better to stay silent than to commit to something that you know you can’t fulfill. Challenge yourself to begin becoming a person that keeps their word. It will really pay off in the end!