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*NEW Blog for Youth & Teens. Life is a collection of all the little decisions we make each day. What will you center your decisions on?
INSPIRATION
The meeting place of the human heart and the heart of God is starting point of happiness. -Rev. Sun Myung Moon
But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. -Hebrews 5:14
Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? -1 Corinthians 3:16
From the view centered on God and the individual, the conscience and I become one and then this conscience, which is united with God, will be in the position of a Father to the body, representing God. -Rev. Sun Myung Moon
INTRO
Growing up is cool. The more you grow, the more you are able to make decisions on your own. As you get older the world seems to open more and more to you. You get to pick what activities or extracurriculars you want to be involved in. You get to choose some of your classes at school. No longer are your friends just the kids of your parent’s friends, but you are making your own circle of friends.
But having more freedom comes with more responsibility and some choices are harder to make than others. What shoes am I going to wear with this outfit? What toppings should I get at Chipotle? What should I spend my money on from my after school job? These decisions we make can be overwhelming. And of course these are just the small decisions.
The big decisions, focus on how we live our lives and where we invest our time and energy. These are the formative years of your life. You are picking and choosing things that will begin to define who you are becoming, as a person.
What subjects and extracurriculars are going to set me up for college? How much time can I give to hobbies and how much to studies? Should I date? Should I keep hanging out with my friends if they are making decisions I don’t agree with? Should I go to parties with drugs and alcohol? Should I take a new sport or stay in the one I’m good at? Is it ok to send pictures of myself to that person I’m interested in?
Life is a collection of all the little decisions we make each day. How we respond to situations, who we hang out with, what we watch, what we study, what we practice, how we act- these things come together to define who we are and who we are becoming.
So, these little decisions are actually hugely important. While you are still in school you may not know what you want to be when you grow up. You are still trying to figure that out. You might not be able to map out what your life is going to look like, but now is a good time to know how to find your direction. Your parents and teachers are giving you knowledge and guidance now so that you can begin to find your own compass, and navigate life successfully.
THE KEY → Building a personal relationship with God, learning how to talk with him and understand life from God’s perspective will help you make tough decisions more easily.
THE IDEAL
At the time of creation, God’s hope was that humanity would grow in maturity and that He would dwell within their midst. God hopes that He can experience life through all created things, especially through the eyes of you and me.
God gave us His Word, His Spirit and His love. He hoped that through our interaction with these three we would form a spiritual compass that would guide us to living a fulfilling life. In Psalm 119:105 it says “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” As we grew our spirit, God’s Will would become our own will. The things we desired and pursued would guide us towards a happy, healthy life.
When we pray, study God’s word, worship and fellowship with fellow believers we strengthen our connection with God. As we come closer to God our conscience is strengthened and it becomes easier for us to identify good behavior from destructive behavior.
Reality
When we don’t have God as the center, we have no grounds to determine what’s right or wrong in life.
God’s standard of goodness, His hope for humanity has been cluttered by our own cultural norms. Societies form agreements on what is acceptable behavior and codify that into spoken and unspoken law. Many of these standards are universally accepted by all and are in alignment with what God would have wanted. Do not steal, do not murder, do not lie; these are examples of things we can all agree upon.
We often do not take time to pray and ask God for guidance. Studying God’s word is not always a daily practice and we lose sight of what God has taught as good practices for life. Taking time to be still and in the presence of God becomes increasingly more elusive as we are constantly bombarded with distractions. It becomes difficult to understand what God’s Will is for our lives and that of society.
Sometimes we incorporate new standards that are to accommodate negative behavior and are not there to guide us towards being our best selves. When men in America were having multiple sexual partners and one-night stands, it hurt the women in this country. Over time, society decided to embrace this culture and said it was also fine for women to use men for sex. Instead of holding men to a higher standard- we lowered the bar and normalized sexual objectification for everyone. This is just one example of how sometimes what is culturally accepted as good is not actually in alignment with what God would call good. This behavior of sexual objectification hurts many people but there is no way to correct the behavior because it has been accepted as normal.
But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. -Hebrews 5:14
God wants you discover and enjoy the best life has to offer. As we grow in maturity, we are able to see for ourselves what choices will bring a good result and which ones will hurt us or others in the end.
Impacts
When we do not have collectively agreed upon standards we tend to step on each others toes and unintentionally hurt others. Sometimes what is acceptable behavior to me may be viewed as insensitive or hurtful to you. If everyone has a relativistic view of good and bad behavior someone is bound to be left out or hurt.
Sometimes what you decide to do may look weird to others. If you don’t date in high school some people may think you’re strange. However, if you are clear on what you want in love than you will have a reason to keep doing what may seem strange to society.
Resolution
Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? -1 Corinthians 3:16
God does dwell within us and we are naturally inclined towards goodness. As we develop our relationship with God, it becomes more and more clear what behaviors lead to goodness vs. harm.
God has a plan for your life. God wants you to have a meaningful job, an awesome marriage and a great family. God wants you to be filled with love, happiness, pleasure and freedom. As you put God in the center of your life, you will see the little decisions you make are leading you to the big joy that you are hoping for.
Amid the storm, tossed on the sea, Beacon of hope, guiding me. Amid the storm, shelter is near, Trust in Him for God is love. -Lyrics for “Light of Grace”
Even though we might feel it is impossible to navigate life, God is always there for us. As we open our hearts toward God, our loving parent, we can see the light and find our way through.
PRAYER POINTS
Pray for:
Clarity on your long term hopes and dreams.
Strength to overcome your short term desires for the sake of your long term happiness.
An appreciation of who you truly are and confirmation of God’s unconditional love for you.
God's guidance for the little decisions made every day
Courage to act in ways true to one's morals
God to draw me close into a personal living relationship with Him as my Heavenly Parent.
TIPS
Spiritual Style Quiz by Focus on the Family
JOURNALING: Take time to write down what some meaningful things are that you want to achieve or create in your lifetime. Write down what you think God wants from you in your daily life. Journaling is a good chance for you to reflect personally and share with God through writing. Feel free to go back to this and share any of it that you like with your parents during the upcoming lesson opportunity.
In what ways can you include God into your daily living?
What are some things you are passionate about doing right now
How do you think the choices you make today will affect your future?
Reflect on some of the decisions you are confronted right now. What are they? Are you challenged by any of them? Why? what concerns do you have?
PRAYER: Make time to pray. Life is chaotic and wants answers immediately. This can cause you to make poor choices, slow down with prayer. Ask God for direction and make your choices with confidence.
GOD’S WORDS: Read God’s word daily. Start small just a few lines and really reflect on their meaning. You will begin to develop a clear understanding of God’s heart in many different situations. Idea: download the Godible app here.
YOUR PARENTS: When making big decisions, involve your parents. While you’re still growing up it’s a great time to use them as a resource. They’ve been through the same sort of things you are going through now. They can help you develop your compass.
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