3 PRACTICAL WAYS TO DEAL WITH STRESS

Stress isn’t just something that adults deal with. As a teenager, you face lots of
stressful situations every day. You might be stressed out because of something going
on at school or home. Perhaps you’re in a stressful relationship with a boyfriend or
girlfriend. No matter what the source of your stress is, this devotion is focused on
helping you overcome stress in healthy ways.

1 – Don’t Deal With Stress Alone

The best thing to do about stress is realize one simple truth: You weren’t built to deal
with stress alone. You aren’t expected to deal with hard situations on your own. God
wants to help you deal with the stressful situations that you face.

O LORD, I know the way of man is not in himself; It is not in man who walks to direct
his own steps. – Jer. 10:23

This scripture describes it so perfectly. We aren’t built to do things on our own and in
our own strength. We need God’s help to live our day-to-day lives. We need to trust
that God has our back in every situation and circumstance that we face. When we get
stressed out, we should go to God and ask for his help. He’s just waiting for us to ask
for His help.

God wants to help you deal with th e stressful situations you face –
@studentdevos
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2 – Look for the Cause of Your Stress

Look for the cause of your stress. Stress can come for a lot of reasons. For example,
maybe you’ve committed yourself to too many things. You can’t realistically do
soccer, volleyball, cheer, choir, band, yearbook and lead youth group Bible study. If
you’re stressed out because you’ve overcommitted, then look for ways to get out of
an activity or two. Even though being involved in a lot of things is fun, if it’s causing
you too much stress, it isn’t worth it.

Perhaps you’re stressed out because of a bad relationship. If so, pray for wisdom to
know how to deal with the person or situation.

If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not
rebuke you for asking. – James 1:5 (NLT)

Do some searching to see if you can find out what is causing you to be
stressed. Then determine if there’s a way to handle the situation differently to help
you be less stressed.

3 – Ask Advice From Other People

If you’re really stressed out about a situation or another person, it can be helpful to
ask advice from someone else. Find a person who you feel you can trust and ask
them their thoughts about your situation.

Many times, a wise friend, youth pastor or mentor can help put your situation into
perspective. People that have gone through similar stressful situations can help give
you advice and the encouragement you need to make it through stressful situations.
A fool thinks he needs no advice, but a wise man listens to others. – Proverbs 12:15
(TLB)

Remember that no matter what it is that is stressing you out, you can know that God
wants to help you. It might be through the advice of a trusted friend, or through a God
inspired idea. All you need to do is ask Him and he will be happy to help you out.

Pray: God, I come to you in the name of Jesus. I thank you that I don’t have to live
my life in my own strength. I thank you that I can go to you when I get stressed out
about things and you’re there to help me. I ask for your help today. Thanks. In Jesus’
name, Amen.

WHAT TO DO WHEN LIFE DOESN’T TURN OUT LI KE YOU

PLANNED?
It happens at some point in all of our lives. Something unexpected happens. It’s
nothing you planned on. Things are no longer the same, and what once felt solid is
no more. Life has thrown us a curve ball. It might be the divorce of our parents. It
could be something at school. Whatever it is, sometimes its hard to know what to do.
So what do you do when life throws you something unexpected? What do you do
when it feels like your family is falling a part around you? Where do you turn when it
feels like there is nothing left for you to do? Here’s a few things I learned when going
through a really hard time in life a few years ago.

1. Don’t let your relationship with God fall between the cracks. It can be really
easy to want to let this happen. You might not understand why this is happening to
you. It can be easy in times like these to let go of your relationship with God. You
might want to blame God, or just not feel close to him in though times. The thing to
remember is that God is not the source of the bad things that happen to you. Don’t let
a rough time in life steal your relationship with God.
Your relationship with God is what will get you through the tough times. It can be your
foundation when it feels like the world is falling apart around you. Choose to stay
close to God and rely on Him in tough times.
2. Don’t Take It Out On Others. It can be easy when you feel upset to want to take it
out on other people. Maybe you are hurt and angry and want to yell at everyone who
talks to you. However, taking it out on other people is never the answer. You will
ultimately drive people who love you and care about you away if you begin to take it
out on them. These people can be your support when times are tough.
3. Learn from it. As much as life’s tough times stink, you can use tough times to
learn. You may be able to help out someone in the future who is going through what
you are facing. You can be an encouragement to others who are going through tough
times by learning from those tough times.
Tough times also show you a lot about yourself. You may find that you don’t have the
character you thought you did because you came unglued in a tough time. You may
learn that you have some areas in your life that you need to work on. Tough times are
a good indicator of character.
4. Look up. When life doesn’t go the way you wanted, know that you can look up.
Jesus is your answer to life’s problems. He understands what you’re going through
completely. He can be your anchor in the midst of life’s storms.
This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same
testings we do, yet he did not sin. – Hebrews 4:15 (NLT)

When life doesn’t go the way you wanted it to, its never easy. The good thing to
remember is that you’re not alone. You’ve got Jesus on your side. Don’t forget to lean
on him in tough times and in good times!
 WHY YOUR LIFE MATTER S
I struggled many of my teenage years thinking that my life didn’t matter. I struggled
with thoughts of suicide and wondered if anyone would even care if I wasn’t around
anymore. If you’ve dealt with these feelings, you’re not alone. Many people struggle
these feelings.

In this devotion, I want to share with you a few reasons why I believe your life
matters. Despite what you might be feeling, your life is important, so lets look at why.

God chose you.

Have you ever thought about the fact that God chose you? That means that your life
is important. Even when you compare yourself to your friends, and feel like you come
up short, God chose you. He went out of His way to choose you. To Him, you’re
extremely important!

Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and
without fault in his eyes. – Ephesians 1:4 (NLT)

God loves you and He chose you to be a part of His family. That means your life
matters!

God has something for you to do.

God has a plan for your life. He’s got something special that He wants you to
accomplish. You’ve been put on this World for a purpose. God wants to use you to
touch the lives of your friends and family with the good news of Jesus. Your life
matters because God has a plan for you to do that only you can do.

For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and
not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. – Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT)

God has good plans for your life, so when you feel like your life doesn’t matter,
realize that God says it does.

Being a teenager isn’t easy.

Its not easy being a teenager. There’s lots of challenges you face each day that can
damage your feeling of worth. However, don’t allow yourself to be lied to and think
your life doesn’t matter.

You are important. God puts a value on your life that is beyond description. He loves
you more than you can ever comprehend. So when you begin to feel like you don’t
matter and want to give up, remind yourself that to God you matter.

3 REASONS TO TELL YO UR FRIENDS ABOUT JES US

Its amazing as Christians how easy it is for us to get wrapped up in our own lives. We
spend so much time thinking about who we should date, what we should wear and all
the drama going on at school that we forget to focus on telling people about Jesus.

Days can pass and we’ve never really invited non-Christians into our lives. We
haven’t spent time thinking about where our friends, family and our neighbors will
spend eternity. So with that in mind here are three reasons we should be telling
others about Jesus.
1. If you don’t who will?
You might be the only person who has a chance to speak into your friend’s life. You
may be the only chance they get to hear the gospel. So don’t hesitate to speak up
about Jesus.
Romans 10:14 – But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in
him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how
can they hear about him unless someone tells them? (NLT)
You’ve been strategically placed into the lives of your friends and family. Don’t
hesitate to tell them the good news about Jesus.
2. Jesus said do it.
Some of Jesus’ last words were telling His disciples to share the gospel with others. If
Jesus tells us we should do something, then we should do it!
Mark 16:15 – And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good
News to everyone. (NLT)
Jesus instructed us to tell the good news to everyone. So we should be doing it!
3. If you don’t they might go to hell.
This should be enough of a reason by itself to tell others about Jesus. If you don’t tell
the people in your life about Jesus, they might die and go to hell. And hell isn’t that
great. So be sure to to look for opportunities to tell others about Jesus. You could get
the chance to save someone from going to hell!
Sharing Jesus isn’t always what is popular. It isn’t always what it easy. But it is
always what is right. Look and pray for opportunities to share the gospel with others.
Ask God to show you people who are ready to hear in your life. Then step out and
don’t be afraid to share with others. You know enough to bring someone into the
kingdom of God.

HOW TO MAKE BETTER D ECISIONS

Have you ever made a really bad decision? Or maybe sometimes you just struggle
with making a decision. Maybe you’re afraid to make the wrong choice and so its
hard for you to commit to making a decision and stick with it. Making decisions can
be tricky at times, but here’s a few thoughts that we think will help make the decision
making process easier.

 God wants to help. God wants to lead and guide His children into making good
decisions. Whether its what car to buy, or who to date, God is interested in helping
you make a good decision about that thing. So lean on His wisdom and include Him
in the decision making process.
“Those who are led by God’s Spirit are God’s children.” – Romans 8:14 (GNB)
 Spend time with God. To really get to know God and get His take on your decisions,
you’ve got to start by spending time hanging out with God. You get to know God
better by reading the Bible and talking to God/praying. So invest the time now getting
to know God so that when a time of decision comes, you’re ready to know and hear
His voice.
 Don’t get mad if you don’t get an answer right away. Its easy to pray about
something and expect an answer right that second. Sometimes, the answer doesn’t
always come right away. So don’t give up or back out on involving God in your
decisions if you don’t hear anything right away. Choose to hang in there, knowing that
God will always come through for you.
 Balance God’s wisdom with other people’s wisdom. If God speaks to you about a
decision always go with what God says, not what others say. However, if you haven’t
really heard anything from God about a decision, its okay to ask other people for
advice or help. Some decisions aren’t world altering, and so its totally fine to just lean
on the advice, thoughts, or wisdom of others.
Making better decisions always starts by putting God and His word first in your life. If
you’ll choose to always put those things first in your life, you’ll find that you’ll be
 making better decisions and living with less regret. Choose to always put God and
the Bible first in your life!

HOW TO DEAL WITH MEAN PEOPLE – PART 2

God tells us in Matthew 5:44 – “Love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute
you!” (NLT)
Loving people that are mean or don’t treat you the way you think you should be
treated can be really hard at times.

We learned in the last devotion that we can love others because God put the love to
do it with in our hearts. But what does loving a mean person look like in everyday
life?

 Be kind – this means that no matter how cruel someone is you respond back to them
with kind words and actions. You don’t try to get revenge or get even.
 Put yourself in the other person’s shoes – it’s easy to get mad and get hurt when you
feel like you’ve been treated unfairly. However, try putting yourself in that person’s
shoes. If you had been through the things that they had been through you might act
the same way they did.
 Realize that you hurt people too. Have you ever said something mean and later
regretted it? Or maybe you weren’t even trying to be mean but what you said came
across in the wrong way. How would you want to be treated in those situations?
You’d probably want understanding and forgiveness so extend that to others.
Loving mean people can be a real challenge. It can be hard to do the right thing. Just
remember that loving mean people is something you can grow in and develop more.
Don’t feel bad if you’re not perfect at it.

Also, realize that God is there to give you ideas and help on how to love mean
people. Keep him in the loop and you’ll find that God has your back when it comes to
dealing with mean people.

Four principles for godly Facebooking

How do you respond when someone posts negative comments online?

1. Your online behaviour reflects your offline attitudes

Philippians 4:8 says, “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever
is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or
praiseworthy--think about such things.”

You can’t say, and you can’t post, what you’re not thinking about.

So before your write something on Facebook, imagine how others might respond to
what are you saying. How do think they will feel? Good? Or Bad? If you think there's
a chance they will take it negatively, maybe you shouldn't post it.
Posting and texting is just like any other area of life. In Matthew 7:12 Jesus states
clearly, “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this
sums up the Law and the Prophets.” This 'Golden Rule' sums up almost every other
command in the Bible.

2. Avoid online negativity

This principle is like a subcategory of the first. If you say something negative about a
person, it often gets back to the source. If you post something negative in public
about another person, that’s worse. If you try to encrypt it so that only a few people
know what you’re talking about, it will be sniffed out by the source — and probably 20
other people who are so deeply insecure that they think everyone is referring to them.

If you have something you need to say to someone, then go and talk to them face-to-
face. And do it with grace and love.

3. Don't return evil for evil

What if someone says something negative about you? Not returning evil for evil is
really hard, and yet it is where the rubber meets the road in relying on Christ. You’re
going to need practice and patience.

Here are some examples I've seen of people responding to negative comments:

Negative person says: “Where’d you get those ugly jeans?”

Reply: (roll eyes) “I know they're not the best … but I really love all the stuff you

wear.”

Negative person says: “I can’t stand so-and-so. He's really annoying.”

Reply: “Actually, he sits beside me in math. He’s really nice once you get to know
him.”

Negative person says: “So and so wrote bad stuff about you on the bathroom wall.”

Reply: “You’re kidding! Wow. I always really liked her. I'll try and find a time to chat

with her about it.”

It’s very hard to return a mean comment with a nice one because we feel like we are
giving that mean person even more power. But the opposite is true.
4. Kill them with kindness

Proverbs 25:21-22 says, “If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is
thirsty, give him water to drink, for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the
Lord will reward you."

“Heap burning coals” means that regardless of what people may show on the outside,
you will make them burn with regret over what they just said. It’s such a well-known
tactic that it has a name: It’s called “killing people with kindness”.

That doesn’t mean the guilt will show up in people right away. Generally, they will
look confused or stunned.

But often they’ll go away and think about it. Conversely, if you say something mean
back, you are throwing fire at fire. What happens to the fire when you add fire to it? It
grows and grows. Will fire ever put out a fire?

In the end, as Christians, we want to follow the lead of Jesus, who said in Matthew
5:44, “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” Are you ready to do
that on Facebook today?

2 practical ways to be happy

Some useful tips for when you don't feel so great.

Your grades? They are what they are. Your sleeping habits? An unreliable reality.
Your social life? Totally underwhelming.

Parents and teachers have expectations of you. You have expectations of yourself

How do you find balance and even (gasp) happiness?

Here’s some advice…

Speak truth to yourself.

Ultimately, happiness is not derived from grades, the person who (finally) talks to you,
or the job you land. The biggest factor in being happy that I’ve found is simply
choosing it, as simple as that sounds.
Choose to, in your mind, speak as much truth as you can.

Yes, you have a huge assignment due. Great. You have the opportunity to learn and
you can speak the truth to yourself that God is good and will give you the strength
you need (Psalm 136:1; Philippians 4:13).

With every thought, we can choose to submit it to Jesus and His truth (2 Corinthians
10:5). Then, we can be happy because His truth never changes (even though our
circumstances do).

Get outside of yourself.

Another habit can exponentially improve your happiness: getting outside of yourself.

It’s natural. Centering our lives on ourselves is something we all do. This centering
can be a problem as – focused on us – we are prone to unhappiness when life
doesn’t go our way.

Instead, try seeking to see and meet the needs of others. With eyes centered on
helping people – through a smile, advice, an encouraging conversation or message –
we become happier as we seek to make others happy and, in doing so, simply seek
to obey Jesus’ command to love (Matthew 22:37-39).

All in all, life is what you make of it, so speak truth and see and meet the needs of
those around you.

Much is determined by your choice, so choose wisely. Choose happiness. Choose

truth. Choose Jesus (John 14:6).

Love your worst enemies

It's easy to love our friends, but much harder to love those who hate us.

Jesus said some tough things from time-to-time, but one of the hardest commands he
gave his followers is found in Matthew 5:43-44...
You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’

But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that

you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven.

Of course, it's easy to say this to other people, but when we're asked to do it in our
own lives, that's when things get tricky. What about that bully at school? What about
that girl that says mean things about you? What about those so-called 'friends' who
keep talking about you behind your back? Does Jesus say I have to love them too?
Yes, he does.

God cares for the evil

If you're like me, and you find this teaching difficult to implement in your life, then we
need to look to two examples given in the Bible. The first one continues on from the
same part of the Bible, Matthew 5: 44-45...

"...Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be
sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on

the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

Do you see what these verses are saying? Even though people are evil and they hate
God, he still cares for them! He sends them sunshine and rain, and provides food,
shelter and lots of other good things. Do they/we deserve it? Of course not! But that's
what God is like, and that's what he wants us to be like too.

Jesus loved us while we were enemies

The other part of the Bible that's really helpful here is Romans 5:7-8 which says...

For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person

one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still

sinners, Christ died for us.

The Bible says that when Jesus died for us we were not good people. We were
sinners. In fact, verse 10 of this chapter says he died for us "while we were enemies".
So, if this is how Jesus treated us, shouldn't that be how we treat others too?

How to love your enemies

Here's a few ways you can show love for those people in your life that you really don't
get along with:

 Pray for them. Ask God to save them and to give them his Spirit.

 Ask God to help you forgive them when they hurt you.

 Don't provoke other people to anger.

 Don't retaliate. We become just like our enemies when we sink to their level.
Jesus says we need to be the better person.

 Ask for help. If you are being bullied or teased and finding it hard, get some help.
Often, bullies have lots of troubles of their own & they are acting out because they
can't cope with their own problems. By seeking help from a teacher, parent or
other professional, the bully can be spoken to. This could lead to them getting the
help they need.

 Be patient. People do change over time, and if you continue to show a godly
attitude, you will earn the respect of others. As time goes by, they may wonder
what you have that makes you so calm. It's a great way to witness to the power of
Jesus in your life.

7 ways to respond to bullies

Bullies have often had the stereotype of being a kid larger than the rest of the kids
and spiky hair. They also have had the stereotypical bully duties “stealing lunch
money, wedgies, and even the occasional stuffing in lockers”.

But, things have changed, so let’s take a look at the modern day bully. They come in
all shapes and sizes and now due to social media they are much more involved in
everyday life, and at times nearly impossible to get away from.

Cyber Bullying is a form of bullying that is constantly growing and changing. The
majority of students have Facebook, text messaging, and Instagram in their pocket
right now. Bullies these days will often make threats, blackmail and try to intimidate
people online.

If you're being bullied online, here's a few things to think about:

1. Evaluate your relationship with the bully

Is this a genuine bully, or a friend having a bad day? Have you done something to
upset this person? Were you rude to them or excluded them from something? Do you
owe them an apology?

2. Evaluate the severity of the threats

Do you feel scared, or worry that the person will harm you physically? If you do, you
need to report it to an older trustworthy adult ASAP. Save the messages, print them
out and take it to your parents, or a teacher you trust.

3. Pray for the bully

Sometimes, it's obvious the bully has some serious issues, and is in need of help. I'm
sure you want them to get that help, or at the very least you want them to leave you
alone. We know that God doesn't like bullies - just take a look at 2 Kings 2:23-2423:

Some small boys came out of the city and jeered at him, saying, "Go up, you

baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!" And he turned around, and when he saw them, he
cursed them in the name of the Lord. And two she-bears came out of the woods and

tore forty-two of the boys.

However, as followers of Jesus, we are encouraged to love our enemies, so your

prayer would probably be for God to give you peace and understanding with this
person.

4. Move On

Try not to obsess or focus too much on what these bullies say. Try your best to move
on! The more you let this situation hinder your day to day life, the more you empower
the bully. The easiest way to move on is to consider the source, would you take
advice from this person? Is this person constantly in trouble? Are they known for
saying hurtful things?

Remember God has a very specific and personal plan for you. Think of a hurdler
beginning to run his race - he knows his goal is to cross the finish line. He takes off
from the starter's block and heads to the first hurdle, but upon approaching it he stops
and quits the race. He knew his goal was to finish, but was not able to overcome the
obstacles in front of him. Get the help you need from friends, family, counsellors, so
you can keep running your race, and get through the trials that are thrown in your
way.

5. Find opportunities to grow

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that

the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full

effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (James 1:2-4)

It can be hard to consider bullying “all joy” but think about what you can learn:

• Conflict resolution
• Value of words
• Overcoming obstacles
• Trust in Jesus

6. Read the book of Proverbs

Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of the evil.

Avoid it; do not go on it; turn away from it and pass on.

For they cannot sleep unless they have done wrong;

they are robbed of sleep unless they have made someone stumble. (Proverbs 4:14-

16)

The book of Proverbs provides encouragement, and also insight on the difference
between wise people who follow the Lord, and 'fools', who are always trying to cause
trouble. A look through this book may be of help.

7. Understand the 'bully brain'

Bullies usually bully for attention, acceptance or accolades.

Attention: When you continue to argue or react, this gives them the attention they
desire. It is best to just ignore to the best of your ability, if you feel you are in danger
of being hurt then report it to your parents and a teacher you trust ASAP!

Acceptance: Most bullies “do what they do” because they do not know any better or
they are jealous. They think they may find acceptance with others by degrading
others.
Accolades: Similar to Attention and Acceptance, bullies are searching for praise.
They bully because at some point, someone told them it was funny, crazy or mean.
Getting attention for being mean doesn't really seem like an accolade but in the eyes
of a bully, getting attention for being mean is better than not getting attention at all.
They desperately desire the same things that are needed for everyone else; they just
don't know an appropriate way to get it!

Remember how God sees you

Remember, you are created in God's image!

You are exactly the way He wanted you created, and he has a very specific plan for
you! Don't let someone who does not know your purpose stop you from living the life
God wants!

Stop being so nice

Want to make a real difference? Stop being nice and start being kind instead.

It’s time for a new year!

Time to reflect on how this present year has gone, and time to think about the things
that we want to do a little differently in the new year. Fitness is usually a top
contender for areas in which we want to improve; so is health.

As I reflect on what I would like to see different in the new year, I would like to
cultivate health, but not just physical health. I also would like to cultivate relational
health. One way that I can do that is by not focusing on being “nice,” but rather by
focusing on being “kind.” Although “nice” and “kind” are often seen as synonyms, the
motivation behind these actions can be very different.
What is the difference between being nice and being kind?

I have recently been reading a book by Dr. Mark Baker entitled Overcoming Shame:
Let Go of Others’ Expectations and Embrace God’s Acceptance. He makes a
distinction between being nice in relationships and being kind. This distinction is
intriguing, and seeking to be kind rather than just nice has some definite advantages.

 We are often nice because we are afraid of hurting other people’s feelings. We
will go out of our way not to offend them. When we function this way, we
frequently sacrifice our own honesty, feelings, and opinions....We are trying to
keep others happy at our own expense and out of our own fear.

 We are often nice because we are afraid of hurting other people’s feelings. We
will go out of our way not to offend them. When we function this way, we
frequently sacrifice our own honesty, feelings, and opinions.

 Being nice is good, but often it is not authentic. When we are just being nice, we
can deny our own feelings, wants, and needs in order to accommodate and
please others. When we do that, we are not being very honest with them or with
ourselves. We are trying to keep others happy at our own expense and out of our
own fear.

Fear is the motivator, not love, care, or concern. We are afraid that if we are honest
and real, we might offend the other and be rejected. Furthermore, others can tell
when we function this way. They can sense when we are being inauthentic, even if
they aren’t exactly sure what they are sensing. As a result, they may not feel
comfortable in their relationship with us even though we are working very hard on the
relationship.

Why being kind is better than being nice

Kindness, however, is different. Kindness does not require that you sacrifice your
thoughts, feelings, or opinions in order to appease others. Kindness is not weakness;
kindness requires confidence.

Baker says, “Being kind means considering the feelings of others while remaining
honest about how you feel at the same time. Being kind might mean setting aside
your feelings out of compassion for the feelings of others, and choosing to put their
needs ahead of yours if the situation calls for it. But to be truly kind, you have to be
able to be honest, at least with yourself” (p.67).
 Kindness means that I know what I think, feel, need, and want, and I also desire
to know what the other person thinks, feels, needs, and wants.

 Being kind means that I am authentic in how I care for others; I recognize what I
might want or need, and am willing to share those needs and wants with the other
person. However, out of kindness, I am willing to set those needs and wants aside
for the good of the other.

 In being kind, I am motivated not by fear, but by love and care. I am not worried
about being rejected; I am concerned about the wellbeing of the other.

 Kindness also means that I do appropriately tend to my own feelings, thoughts,

needs, and wants. I do so in order to be emotionally healthy so that I can
continue to be kind to others.

 In being kind, I am motivated not by fear, but by love and care. I am not worried
about being rejected; I am concerned about the wellbeing of the other.

Being kind is important for relational health. It is good for our own emotional health,
for the relational health of others and for our relationships. Furthermore, not only do
these benefits result but given the state of our society and political culture right now, I
believe that we could all benefit from cultivating a little more kindness.

A new year is a good time to reflect on the changes that we want to make in our lives
and in our relationships. I hope that the new year is a year of kindness for you

Living life for the glory of God

All of life is worshiping God, even the boring bits.

Why do I always settle for less than my best?

I asked myself this question and sighed. Why do I always do the easy thing?

I’m always making excuses for doing less than my best. Or maybe I do the ‘bare
minimum’.

“Therefore, be imitators of God, as beloved children;” - Ephesians 5:1-2

How can we be imitators of Christ when we’re doing everything halfway? He doesn’t
do things halfway.
 “Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” - 1

Corinthians 10:31

It doesn’t shed a very good light on Christ. We need to glorify God in everything we
do. No matter if it’s as big as applying for college, or just doing the dishes - we need
to do everything for Him.
If you’re like me, you realize this is something you need to work on, but maybe you
struggle with knowing how to put it into practice.
Here are five practical things you can do today to glorify God with everything you
have.

1. Read God’s word and talk to Him daily

This tip, although obvious, is the most important of them all.

The word of God is fuel.

If you’re spending all day running on empty, then you’ll never be able to glorify God.
Yet, so often, that’s what we do. We forsake reading the Bible and talking to God for
other diversions like our phones. No wonder we do lots of things halfway, because
we lack the nourishment to do anything else.

Each day start with a time of prayer and reading. Dig deep into His Word and see
what He has to say about your life. See what He has to say about you. Ask God to
help you see places where you aren’t doing your best to glorify God and ask Him to
help you correct them.

2. Make a list

I love lists.

The check in the box gives me satisfaction and makes me feel like I have actually
accomplished something in a day. This is a really helpful tool that helps me pursue
excellence.

Make a list of things you need to get done in one day, whether that be school, work,
or hobbies. Then, make a time limit of how much time you should spend on each
thing.
If you’re a student going to school, make sure you’ve got space in your day to do your
homework. It might not seem particularly ‘Godly’ but working hard on your science
project is what God wants you to do in that moment. Make a list to help you keep
track of your time and to help you to glorify God in everything you do, whether it be
school or chores.

3. Ask for accountability

Life is lived in community, so we shouldn’t be trying to go solo.

My parents often remind me if I’m slacking in an area, and I am thankful for that. But
something that I have found particularly helpful is accountability from my friends.

I have recently started an accountability group with a friend, and it has already helped
me tremendously. I have asked her to point out any ways she sees me slacking, and
also recruited her to ask how I have been doing in certain areas. One of those areas I
ask her to help me with is giving glory to God.

Find a good friend, family member, or even mentor and ask them if you both could
partner and keep each other accountable. Maybe it will help you remember to glorify
God in every area of your walk.

4. Memorize verses

Memorizing scripture can be hard.

And, it can be an anchor in a stormy sea.

God has used scripture in my life when dealing with anxiety, temptation and even
anger. Memorizing it can help for His truth to sink into your heart and penetrate your
mind. Then, in times of need, He will bring it up to show you what you should do, and
to remind you of His love. Maybe memorize the verses above. (Ephesians 5:1-2) and
(1 Corinthians 10:31)

5. Show yourself grace

Remember to show yourself grace. You aren’t going to do everything right the first
time (or maybe even the second or third). And we must try to do our best and glorify
God, but we also must allow the Holy Spirit to work in and through us.
All things will be made new. Right now, this world is corrupt, full of sin. There’s evil
everywhere. We sin all the time. But God promises that one day there will be a new
earth and we will be renewed.

Right now, you won’t achieve perfection, but you can pursue excellence.

But we must try and never give up. Keep striving to live for Him and to glorify Him! It’s
hard, but we will see the results of it one day.

God has a plan for you

Want to know God's will for your life? Start with these four steps.

“I know God’s will for your life.”

When I tell this to my students, they sometimes think this means that I’ve received a
prophetic word from God, and that perhaps I’m about to let them in on the person
they will marry, the vocation they will have, or the graduate school they will attend.

Their eyes often show a bit of disappointment when I tell him what I really mean by
this declaration.

When I tell them “God’s will for your life is that you be holy,” (1 Thess 4:3; 1 Peter
1:15-16) they usually give me that “I-should-have-known-you-were-going-to-say-
something-like-that” look. They were hoping for specific details, not character traits.

While I believe the Bible teaches that God has a detailed plan for our lives, that we
should seek his guidance every step of the way, I also believe the Bible calls us to
primarily focus on who we are becoming in the midst of the details. God's focus is on
our character.

1. Focus on the right things

While we seem to be increasingly self and details focused, the Bible challenges us to
be God, other, and world focused; to seek God’s Kingdom first, and allow God to
provide for us and work out the details of our lives (Matt 6:33-34).

We can be sure that God always leads us in the direction of holy living that will bring
him the greatest glory. As David declares, “he leads me in paths of righteousness for
his name sake" (Ps 23:3).
2. Develop a heart for God

The Holy Spirit is alive and powerfully active in our lives (Acts 15:28). However, the
way he usually guides us is through the Bible that he inspired and illuminates (2 Tim
3:16-17). God’s Word clearly shows us his revealed will for our lives--that we should
be holy, obedient, loving, thankful, patient, pure, good, honest, Christ-like, God
honoring people.

When we become more like Christ, and develop a heart for God, his will in the details
of life becomes more evident to us. We are primarily dependent on this Bible based,
relational guidance from God, for he wants us to be daily realizing our utter
dependence on him and his Word, and that he cares more about our sanctification
than our ideas of security or success.

3. Look at what God is doing in your life

Assuming we are in close relationship with God, growing in Christ-likeness, and

seeking the glory of God and the good of others, there are other important steps we
can take to discern what God would have us do in particular situations:

 We should seek wise counsel from godly people who know us and God well (Prov
12:15).

 We should also consider the way God has, and is, working in our lives. Has he
provided opportunities experiences, gifts, abilities and circumstances that we
should seek to build on with our decisions?

 We should also seek to use the minds he has given us to decide whether a
decision is wise. We need to be careful here though, because sometimes what
makes sense from God’s perspective is considered foolishness by the world (Gen
22; 1 Cor 1:18-31).

4. Wait with patient confidence

When we make decisions as God’s children who are in close obedient fellowship with
him, we can act on those decisions with patient confidence, sure that the God we call
Father is infinitely powerful, loving, wise and good, and will be with us no matter
where the path we take leads.

God wants us to want to know him even more than we want to know his will for our
lives.
"I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as
a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not
be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by
testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and
perfect." (Rom 12:1-2, ESV)

What if your dreams don’t come true?

Learning to trust God when his plans are different to yours.

Our God is a loving God and he has good things planned for those who follow him.
This is clear throughout the Bible! For example, in the book of Jeremiah, God’s
people Israel are in exile in Babylon and worried about their future. But Jeremiah
passes on to them this message:

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not
to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11).

I bet that at that moment the Israelites were pretty unconvinced that God’s plans
would help them – after all, they were in captivity far away from their homeland! But
God’s plans were good, and eventually he did rescue Israel from Babylon and they
were returned to their homeland.

God’s plans are different to our plans

A lot of the time, the things that God has planned for his people are not what we plan
for ourselves.

When the Israelites were back in Israel, they were still under foreign rule, first by the
Persians and then by the Romans. They were waiting for the prophesied Messiah
who would come to redeem them. And they were hoping and planning for a Messiah
who would rescue them from the tyranny of the Romans!

But God had a different plan for what his Messiah would do. He didn’t send a
Messiah to save Israel from the Romans. But he sent Jesus, who did something so
much better!

God’s plans are better than our plans

God’s plans are always better than the things we can dream up for ourselves. For
example, after I broke up with my high school boyfriend at the end of my first year of
university, it was only eight months later that I met the man I ended up marrying!

Here’s a greater example: even though the Israelites expected a Messiah who would
drive out the Romans, God sent Jesus to redeem the whole world from the
punishment we deserved for our sin!

When life is really hard and it doesn’t go the way we planned, it can be so difficult to
see the goodness of God’s plans. But sometimes we need to look at a situation with
different eyes. Maybe it will take time – perhaps it will even take until we join God in
heaven! – but God’s good plan for us will be carried out!

What are your plans?

What do you have planned for your life? Do you want to be rich? Get married? Work
overseas? Have a big family? Buy ten cats?

Planning is fine. But hold loosely to your plans, because God may take them away
and give you something else.

But remember, in the long run, God’s plans will be better than the plans you have
made!

What if I fail my exams?

Six things you MUST remember when you're freaking out about the future.

Do you get nervous waiting for your exam results? Maybe you can’t eat because your
stomach is churning so much. You keep wondering about a whole bunch of
questions:

 What will the results be?

 Will they be enough to get into my university course?

 What if... what if I don’t get to do what I really, really wanted to do?

When your dream is shattered

I remember the shock of 'bad' exam results. One minute I had my world all planned
out, and the next ... well, the next moment everything crashed down around me. Here
are some questions I had to deal with:

 How much am I thinking 'Good marks = good person?'

 How much of my self-esteem depends on my academic results?

 Am I trusting in God, or am I really trying to control him by planning out my own

future?

 Have I been expecting God to automatically approve my ideas, rather than letting
Him be in charge?

 What now??????

In Proverbs, we are reminded:

In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps.

(Proverbs 16:9)

If you’re dealing with the same grief I had to deal with, don’t panic. It can feel like
you’re facing a really uncertain future, but you’re not alone, and you’re not lost. Here
are some things that helped me:

1. God loves you

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children

of God! And that is what we are! (1 John 3:1)

You might not be feeling very loved right now, but God loves you more than you
know. He loves you so much that Jesus came to give up his life for you. No matter
what happens, God doesn’t love you any less. His love is not dependent on any
exam mark.

2. God knows you better than you know yourself

You have searched me, Lord, and you know me.

You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.

You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely. (Psalm 139:1-4)
If God knows all this about you, then he also knows your gifts. He knows what you’re
best at, even if you’re still struggling to work that out.

3. God knows the future, and he’s in control of everything

... all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to

be. (Psalm 139:16)

When everything seems out of control, God’s still in control. In my case, I can look
back now and thank God he didn’t let me head in the direction I wanted to - it would
have been a disaster! But at the time, I just had to trust Him that he knew what he
was doing. When life seemed most out of control, God was fully in charge.

4. God’s plans are different to our plans

Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.

(Proverbs 19:21)

God isn’t us. He doesn’t just nod and approve of whatever we think we should do.
Sometimes God purposely gives us a wake-up call like this to remind us that we’re
not gods. It’s like he stops us in our tracks and says, “I love you, but are you going to
let me be in charge now?”

5. God is more concerned with who we are than with what we do

God works everything for our good, but “our good” is not necessarily our wealth or
success or career glory.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who

have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also
predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn

among many brothers and sisters. (Romans 8:28-29)

God’s ultimate purpose for your life is that you will be more like Jesus (“conformed to
the image of his Son”). I couldn’t be like Jesus when I was resting on academics for
my self esteem. So God thankfully took that away from me (I can say that now). It’s a
life-long journey, and there are still times when God lovingly gives me that sort of tap
on the shoulder. But I’m grateful, because Jesus is so much more awesome than
anything else.
6. There is nothing too big for God to deal with, so pray, and pray, and... pray

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. (1 Peter 5:7)

At the moment you might not be able to see your future, but God can. So ask him to
look after it. Here’s the sort of prayer I ended up praying:

OK, God. I don’t know what you’re doing here, and I’m struggling. But I know that you

love me. I know that you’re in control of everything. Please help me to trust you now,

even though everything seems so tough. Please help me to serve and follow you no

matter what the future brings.

Instead of asking God what he wanted me to do, I’d been shoving my proud ideas in
his face, and expecting God to just give automatic approval to my plans. It took a
massive reality check for me to realise I wasn’t in control of my world. I needed to
repent of my pride, and depend on the God who is in control of everything.

There was this old hymn that kept on turning around in my mind as I dealt with this
issue:

Turn your eyes upon Jesus

Look full in his wonderful face

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim

In the light of his glory and grace