"Love yourself."Ultimately, this is the theme phrase for this generation, age and culture. It's at the top of every New Years' resolution list, the motto of so many movements, the meaning behind so many anthem songs. You may be thinking to yourself, I do love myself, but... is that a bad thing? The answer is not necessarily. However, you should look at the way you're loving yourself and ask yourself this question: Is my self-love prideful? Ask yourself this question first, and don't lie to yourself! Pride in one's self is a sin! The Lord says, "I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech" (Proverbs 18:13). If we think too highly of ourselves, we can make ourselves an idol! It seems strange, but idolatry in the eyes of God is living for anyone or anything besides Him. If we love ourselves so much that the only thoughts that go into our actions have to do with ourselves and our own best interest instead of God's, that's a serious problem. Our God is a jealous God, and He doesn't want you to fall into the traps of the enemy. The enemy is deceitful, and he is still moving in this world. He feeds off of lies and tries to get to the hearts of those who love God most. But Isaiah 54:17 says that no weapon formed against you will prosper. We're constantly fighting this spiritual battle (Ephesians 6:12) against the lies of the devil, and although God wants you to love the person He created you to be, Satan is telling you to love yourself more than you love the Lord. He tells you to show your body off because you're proud of what it looks like. He tells you to take pride in your sins. He tries to convince you that the world's philosophy of self-love is the same philosophy that God has for you. But the Bible, the most powerful weapon in spiritual warfare says otherwise. The Bible teaches us self-value. Self-value is to understand the value that you hold in the eyes of God. You are so loved and valued by the Most High! We can go all the way back to the first book of the Bible, Genesis, and see that God created us in His very own image (Genesis 1:27). God calls women far more valuable than rubies (Proverbs 3:15). God can have anything He could ever want, but He seeks you everyday just to be closer with you. He wants your heart more than anything. You are so valued. Both self-value and our relationship with God require humility, modesty, dignity and humbleness. Self-value is living for God, submitting to His plan, and seeking the endless Joy that comes from His Holy Spirit. Self-love is struggling to meet your own goals and following your own plan in hopes of finding your own limited happiness. Self-value is knowing God is in control and having security in Him. Self-love is trying to make your strength bigger than it is without God. Self-value is making good decisions based off of what the Bible says because you know it will always be what's best for you. You make informed decisions that reflect your value. Self-love is making decisions based off of what you want and what you think you deserve. Self-value is becoming a fool in the eyes of the world because you know your worth in Jesus alone. Self-love is struggling to maintain your ego/image. Because your worth is only defined by your own worldly love, you can be influenced by other worldly judgements. Self-value is feeling convicted by the sins you commit because you value yourself as a temple of the Holy Spirit. Self-love is disguised as self-value, but is the sin of being proud. Self-value is modest and humble; dignified. Self-love is proud and boastful. Self-value is God-honoring. |
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6. Send someone some/one of your favorite Christian song(s)
Christian songs are so powerful. Because they're so filled with Truth, they convict, inspire and move. There are so many Christian songs that got me through tough times, but there are also songs that lift me up in joy, thanksgiving and worship. I once talked to somebody who said a Christian song just kind of told them that they needed to pursue a relationship with Jesus. You never know what that song will do for the person you send it to!
Check out some of my favorite Christian music ➳
Check out some of my favorite Christian music ➳
7. Hand out Gospel tracts
Gospel tracts are just little booklets that have the Gospel message written within. They describe everything in full and have changed the lives of millions around the world. They're pretty easy, effective, quick ways to send the message without really having to say anything, which is great for those who are just starting off evangelizing. Gospel tracts can sometimes be found at your church, but if not, there are tons of websites where you can order them in bulk like Christian Book.com , and Pocket Testament.org. You can also just search 'order Gospel tracts' on Google and hundreds of options will come up.
Although it's not a physical booklet, you can also feel free to give out the link to the 'Jesus' page here on His Will | My Faith. It contains all the same information that most Gospel tracts have, but it's just virtual.
Although it's not a physical booklet, you can also feel free to give out the link to the 'Jesus' page here on His Will | My Faith. It contains all the same information that most Gospel tracts have, but it's just virtual.
God's great calling to spread His Truth and message of Love can sometimes seem overwhelming in this hateful and judgemental world, however, it's my prayer that these 7 simple ways to answer God's call will help you to bring others to Christ and make the world a better place!
Let me know in the comments: which one of these 7 strategies will you consider doing first?
Let me know in the comments: which one of these 7 strategies will you consider doing first?
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Back to school week: a time where students feel just about every emotion at once. With the anxieties of what the year will be like, if you'll like your classes and teachers, finding those classes and teachers, who you'll sit with at lunch, and all the work you'll be getting, it can be pretty overwhelming. School sometimes feels like a black hole of anxiety and stress, but that's why it's so important that we stay close to the Lord and live out His will for us throughout the school year.
Here are just 6 ways you can stay connected and convivial this school year!
Here are just 6 ways you can stay connected and convivial this school year!
1. Choose specific Bible verses/passages to live out each day/week
I personally find choosing scripture for every day life to be extremely helpful in many ways. Choosing specific Truth to live by each day and/or week will not only keep you grounded in God's Will for you, but it will also help you to memorize more of the Word. Picking something specific you want to focus on from God's Word is key to growing closer to Him. You will become a better child of God and seeker of His heart by choosing to study and live out His wishes. Once you learn how to live out the scripture you choose, you're able to build off of that and grow even more.
The YouVersion Bible app provides a verse of the day, and you could definitely choose to live out the ones they put out! You can also set the app to give you that Bible verse in a notification at a specific time, so you can wake up to your inspiration for the day if you so choose. Isn't that great? I love that app so much!
Devotionals are also great to choose what you live by for the day. Jesus Calling by Sarah Young is a great daily devotional that gives you things to focus on for each day, so if you think that will better suit you than picking out verses yourself, go for it! You can purchase it here.
Having a goal to achieve for the day/week can really help when you're not too thrilled with what school has handed you. Let's face it: it can be boring sometimes! However, having purpose will make the long school days more enjoyable and intentional.
The YouVersion Bible app provides a verse of the day, and you could definitely choose to live out the ones they put out! You can also set the app to give you that Bible verse in a notification at a specific time, so you can wake up to your inspiration for the day if you so choose. Isn't that great? I love that app so much!
Devotionals are also great to choose what you live by for the day. Jesus Calling by Sarah Young is a great daily devotional that gives you things to focus on for each day, so if you think that will better suit you than picking out verses yourself, go for it! You can purchase it here.
Having a goal to achieve for the day/week can really help when you're not too thrilled with what school has handed you. Let's face it: it can be boring sometimes! However, having purpose will make the long school days more enjoyable and intentional.
2. Pray throughout the day
Prayer is also absolutely key to having a strong relationship with the Lord. Praying is really just talking to God, so try to have at least 3 conversations with Him throughout the day. During one of the strongest parts of my walk with God, I prayed around 7 times a day. They were just little, short prayers of gratitude while I walked down the halls of my high school. They mostly consisted of things like "Hey, God, thanks for getting me through that class" or "Thanks Lord for this beautiful day." It doesn't always have to be a formal thing, in fact, it never has to be. Praying comes in all forms, so it's really all up to you and what you feel most comfortable with. God LOVES when you talk to Him!
It's no secret that school is stressful and overwhelming, but that's another point where prayer comes in. Jesus once said, "'Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.'" (Matthew 11:28)
Pray about every little thing! If you're confused or don't understand something you're learning in class, you can ask God to make it clearer to you or to give you His knowledge. If you're tired, ask God to give you the strength to get through the day. The more you talk to Him, the closer the two of you will become!
💡 Tip: Pray for the Lord to help you remember what you've learned and studied and for Him to give you His knowledge before taking a test, quiz or exam. It has helped me a lot in the past!
It's no secret that school is stressful and overwhelming, but that's another point where prayer comes in. Jesus once said, "'Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.'" (Matthew 11:28)
Pray about every little thing! If you're confused or don't understand something you're learning in class, you can ask God to make it clearer to you or to give you His knowledge. If you're tired, ask God to give you the strength to get through the day. The more you talk to Him, the closer the two of you will become!
💡 Tip: Pray for the Lord to help you remember what you've learned and studied and for Him to give you His knowledge before taking a test, quiz or exam. It has helped me a lot in the past!
3. Ask God who you can help that day
Praying is a 2 way street...it is in fact a conversation, a dialogue. God can and will speak back if you allow Him to! A big part of being a Christian is loving others and looking out for them. Asking God who might need help or prayers that day will not only keep you close to Him, but it has the potential to change someone's day, week, year, or maybe even their life! Through this type of conversation with God, you can start to learn what His voice sounds like to you, which is essential to spiritual growth. It also starts to build up your partnership with God, working together to better the lives of those around you. You can truly become a team! Isn't that so cool!? You can be close partners with the creator of the universe!!
4. Reach out to others about the Gospel
Whether it's getting to know other Christians or evangelizing to peers, sharing the Gospel is so important to Christian life. Because of the fact that you're still in school, it can be pretty hard to find other Christians around you. Not many teens or young adults are very dedicated to their faith... and many don't even believe in anything. However, if you know of other people that share your love for the Lord, reach out to them! Maybe plan a bible study outside of school with a group of other believers, or if your school allows it, start a Christian club after school. Whatever you can do to better connect with other children of God, do it! Just like you can become a team with God, you can become a team with other Christians to be able to spread the Gospel to the world. You will be able to encourage each other, pray for each other, grow spiritually together, etc. The bond between two Christian friends is far different than a bond between two non-Christian friends or one Christian friend and another non-Christian friend. Christ-centered friendships are bound by the Holy Spirit. (Check out 7 ways to spread the Gospel ➳)
"For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them."
(Matthew 18:20)
Aside from connecting with people who already believe, it is also very important to be able to help others find Christ! Our purpose as human beings is to live for God's Glory and bring more people to Him. (Isaiah 43:7) Ways to go about this vary, but always ask God for guidance. It can be hard to be open about your faith and to blatantly ask someone if they know Jesus, but that's truly what we're called to do. {Read more about living out Christianity loudly here.}
There are so many people around us at school. Many of them probably long to have a relationship with God, but are too scared to reach out themselves. That's why it's important for us to be "loud" examples of true Christians in the world and to ask God who exactly we should reach out to.
God can work through anyone, so don't be discouraged! He can change someone's life through you!
There are so many people around us at school. Many of them probably long to have a relationship with God, but are too scared to reach out themselves. That's why it's important for us to be "loud" examples of true Christians in the world and to ask God who exactly we should reach out to.
God can work through anyone, so don't be discouraged! He can change someone's life through you!
5. Be conscious
This goes back to what I wrote about in my last post, but we need to be conscious of how we are presenting ourselves at school. If we are trying to represent Christ, then we need to make sure we're paying close attention to what we're doing at all times and if it lines up with what God calls us to do.
Always set your eyes on things above (Colossians 3:2) and remember that we are to set an example for the world (1 Corinthians 8:10-13). We should always be looking for ways to spread the Love of Christ (John 13:34-35) and to honor God (1 Corinthians 10:31b).
Pray and ask God to reveal to you the things that you should change to honor Him and represent Him better in the world. We are called to be set apart, so the farther you are from being like everyone else, the closer you are to being like God.
Always set your eyes on things above (Colossians 3:2) and remember that we are to set an example for the world (1 Corinthians 8:10-13). We should always be looking for ways to spread the Love of Christ (John 13:34-35) and to honor God (1 Corinthians 10:31b).
Pray and ask God to reveal to you the things that you should change to honor Him and represent Him better in the world. We are called to be set apart, so the farther you are from being like everyone else, the closer you are to being like God.
6. Make an inspiration jar
One day, I had an idea to make a jar full of nice things to do for those around me, so I got on the computer and made 180 different prompts, printed them out, folded them and put them in a jar. I made exactly enough so that I could do something different every single day of the school year!
The greatest commandment is to love (Matthew 22:36-40), and these small acts of kindness will help you to instill the love of Christ into your life and into the lives of others. Though it may not seem like much at first, you will gradually become more and more like Christ, always seeking more opportunities to love others.
Here's my jar!
The greatest commandment is to love (Matthew 22:36-40), and these small acts of kindness will help you to instill the love of Christ into your life and into the lives of others. Though it may not seem like much at first, you will gradually become more and more like Christ, always seeking more opportunities to love others.
Here's my jar!
Here's the document with all the prompts!
![](http://www.weebly.com/weebly/images/file_icons/rtf.png)
Inspiration Jar Prompts | |
File Size: | 19 kb |
File Type: | docx |
Some of them are a little girly, sorry guys! >_<
Although school is extremely time consuming, make sure you're still setting aside time to spend with the Lord. Your relationship with Jesus comes before everything!
Sometimes we feel as though we're just going through the motions. School can be pretty bland, but choosing to live for Christ every day will give you a sense of purpose and variety. You just never know what God has up His sleeve!
Let me know in the comments: what are you most looking forward to this school year?
Sometimes we feel as though we're just going through the motions. School can be pretty bland, but choosing to live for Christ every day will give you a sense of purpose and variety. You just never know what God has up His sleeve!
Let me know in the comments: what are you most looking forward to this school year?
Ps. please fill out this form so I can get an idea of how you're liking my blog so far!
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About the Author
Hi! I'm Angie! I'm a college student, worship leader, pro-life advocate, future teacher, youth ministry intern, and above all else, follower of Jesus Christ. I would love to get to know you!
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