Confidence In Christ: A Devotional For Teen Girls

Light To Darkness

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9

As Christians we are called to be a light among darkness. We're called to live victoriously in Christ and spread His love to the world. This often means stepping out of our comfort zone, and walking in the midst of fear of the unknown. 

Therefore, while I seldom believe answers can be simplest or formulaic, I have three C's that I believe can be helpful for our start to living confidently in Christ. C's that are grounded in the Gospel and in life experience - things that I believe can help us shine just a little brighter as we go throughout our days. 

Courage. 

Let's be honest. Being a Christian in today's world takes courage. It takes courage to live as a Christian among unbelievers. It takes courage to hold views that may not be mainstream. It takes courage to explain your thoughts and opinions to those that may disagree. It takes courage to try to find answers where there seem to be none. I think we all need to understand what we believe, why we believe it, and how we can apply this knowledge to real life. At times, we may even need to have courage amongst other Christians. Courage to look at an issue compassionately that brings knee-jerk reactions to many of our fellow believers. This is a courage that we can only obtain from God, who gives us the wisdom to muddle through life's big questions. Which brings me to C #2.

Conviction. 

As Christians, our one source of truth is the Bible. When looking at new information from psychology websites and news articles, it's important that we make sure it lines up with the Bible. I don't think we should fear scientific studies and psychological research, as truth in life will always point back to God. In modern society, the Bible has gotten somewhat of a bad name. People say that it's outdated, but I've come to find the exact opposite. Many things in the Bible speak to current issues in society. And I believe that even the most complex problems can be solved with the wisdom of God's Word. Nonetheless, we can't be effective witnesses with just the first two C's. We also need the third C, one commonly demonstrated by Jesus during his time on earth.

Compassion. 

Anyone can preach words out of the Bible. Nonetheless, it will mean nothing if we don't have compassion and love for hurting people. 1 Corinthians 13:2 says "If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing." 

This verse is along the same lines as a popular For King & Country song, likely based after this passage, called The Proof of Your Love. To have compassion is more than just giving your view on an ethical issue. This is walking with people living that issue. Christians can preach all day long a host of different issues but until we're willing to walk alongside people in those situations, no one will see what Christianity and God's love truly looks like.

Discussion Question - How can we be a light among darkness in our own lives at school, work