Confessions of a Teenage Christian (A Devotional Book for Teen Girls)

September 8, 2014 [Success]

"And God said to them, 'Cast the net on the right-hand of the boat and you will find a catch.' So they cast, and they were not able to haul it in because of the great number of fish." ~John 21:6

Success_

Everyone wants to succeed in life right? People don't just say, "Man, I hope I fail this." No matter if you put in the effort or not, everyone wants to succeed. Well, sometimes that can be really challenging. For example I have a huge test and a really important quiz tomorrow. Naturally, I want to do good on them. Both this test and quiz could mean the difference in an A or a B. I want to do good in my classes so someday I can go to college and eventually succeed in life. The bottom line is, I don't just want to succeed; sometimes, it seems like I have to.

All of this can seem pretty stressful, right? I'm sure you guys all have something that's very important to you that you want to succeed in. Well, no matter how hard you try, you can't do it alone. You need God in order to succeed. In the bible verse listed above, the men go out to fish. They fish all night and don't catch a single thing. And they're using a big net. It is nearly impossible to do that all night and not catch one thing. Then, Jesus appeared before them and told them to try again on the other side. So they did as they were told, and the net was too heavy for them to pull in because of how many fish were in it.

When people read this story, they see the fish as the miracle, as the success. But really, its the obedience. The fact that they listened to The Lord, and trusted Him to take care of them: that's the true miracle. So, if you take a test and get an A on it, that's not the real miracle. The fact that you acknowledged that you can't do this without Him, that you put your full trust in Him, that's the true miracle. Because in 20 years, you're not ever going to think of that test again. But if you put your faith in Jesus for that test, you'll be remembering him everyday. And that is absolutely the true miracle that matters.

Dear God, You know as a teenager that I face a lot of obstacles in life that I want to succeed in. But I know, that I can't accomplish them without You. Remind me that I need You in order to succeed. Keep me from stressing, and tell me that You will take care of me, so there is no need to stress. I put my full trust in You, Jesus. Amen.