i hate to read my Bible. its huge, for one thing. i mean, the thing is just a little leather-bound, six by four inch thing that fits into the messenger bag i carry. but its thick! and the letters are tiny. when i look at the pages i get overwhelmed and that is a crappy feeling. i know that i should read it, but i dont even know where to start. so one night at youth group, we read a passage from the book of James. that night i decided that i really like James, the person. he’s a “no b.s.” kind of guy, if you dont mind my slang. he’s so to the point, no beating around the bush. i’m on a tangent. i read James almost daily for about three weeks. when it started to get monotonus, i moved to a different book. i like the small ones–they only take me but fifteen minutes to read, and i like to read them. two reasons: one, i feel like i’ve done my duty as a good Jesus-follower. two, i really get things out of my time. try it. start with james, he’s good. or philippians, or galatians, or colosians. any of those are good starters.
now about this “new life” thing i’ve talked about for a few days. i’ve found a passage that might help you out, if you are considering my challenge to be real. the author of colosians (i assume it’s paul, since he wrote so many of these but i’m probably wrong) writes a little blipit of what we should be like, following The Way. verse 13 particularly caught my eye, i think because it was what God wanted me to work on. in fact, i wrote it inside my locker (with a sharpie) so that every time i open the locker, i see it and am reminded. “Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.“
Be careful to assume that this life will be easy. you may lose friends. you will become something of an outsider. this verse was a big one for me because i go to school everyday and am picked on all day. i consider myself a “cool kid.” but not at school. they laugh at me when i dont want them to. they make fun of me behind my back occasionally (usually its just to my face). and if i dont go to them, i would eat lunch alone.
but i am not alone. i am never alone.
you will never be alone.
no matter how lonely you become, you will never be alone. keep fighting, no matter how hard it is. if you need prayer, please ask. i have prayed for strength to those of you who wont ask me. and for those who will, wisdom.
May God’s grace be with you.
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Tags: bible, bs, bullshit, challenge, christian, Christianity, christians, church, colossians, crappy, fighting, follower, forgive, forgiveness, grace, hate, jesus, leader, locker, love, man bag, messenger, new life, school, sharpie, strength, teen, teenager, teenagers, teens, The Way
