By Bethany
Are you Free?
One thing God has taught me this summer is how I have been set free. No longer do I have to follow my old way of living. Out with the old; in with the new! Instead, by knowing God, I am set free from discouragement, failure, anger, a life of pain and being worried.
I discovered that inventing new rules, new goals do not help me. Making up morals to follow in my life only left me feeling discouraged because I could not keep them perfectly. Rules do not set me free. Instead, by following the right rules and making up new ones, it left me feeling empty.
But I do not have to dwell in bondage any longer. When I wake up in the morning, I don’t have to feel depressed or upset at the thought of a new day and the same old schedule. When we make mistakes or do something silly, it is okay. It is okay to be hurting; that is why God is our healer. We don’t have to beat ourselves up about it.
Sometimes in our lives there are chains, things holding us back. Perhaps it is an addiction of some sort or a relationship that keeps pulling us down. It is time to let go of those things and be free. God says, “I have set you free so now go and be free.” He does not desire for us to live a life of hurt and despair. We are set free from having to live that kind of life. We are free from the hurt and bitterness we have inside of us. God does not want to simply put a band-aide on our hurts; He wants to completely heal them! We are set free from having to impress others or make them happy all the time. We are set free from feeling like everyone is better or everyone. We are set free from sin and feeling like we have to be the most popular one. We are free of our past and our mistakes. We are free from being envious of what others have and free from temptation. We are free from always having to act right or look right or say the right thing.
WE ARE FREE!!!
My challenge and encouragement to you is this: give God whatever it is that’s holding you back and enjoy His love today. Experience the life of freedom He is offering you!
Hey everyone. Eight years ago today, the World Trade Center in New York City was struck by two planes. Today made me think about how much we take for granted as Americans. We live in the richest, most powerful country in the world and we often complain about it. September 11th is not just about video clips taking up space on the Internet or the TV being so jam-packed that you can’t watch American Idol, it is about a tragedy in our country where we came together and helped each other out. We helped each other. That is just a great thought in itself! So often we are wrapped up in our own lives and we don’t think about the big picture. But, that day, we saw the big picture. We saw our friends and family trapped in debris. We saw firefighters and policemen working to put out fires and save innocent victims. We saw ordinary men dying like heroes in a Pennsylvania field. You know, we as Christians are the same way. We often don’t see the big picture. We have to remember that with God, we can do anything! He knows when we suffer; when we are weak, and He is always right there beside us. So, I just ask that you reflect on what God has blessed you with. Know that during times of trial and weakness, when He feel light years away, He is with you. The Bible says, “I was given a thorn in my flesh, a message from Satan….Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, ‘My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.’” 2 Corinthians 12:7-9
Reality Check Teen Center will be closed FRIDAY the 11th -
Hello my friends. This is my very first post on Reality Check’s new blog. I am here to write it, and you are here reading it. It is a solemn moment. So in the nature the solemnity of this moment, I naturally want to make fun of Oklahoma. And those that live there. So Enjoy!
Welcome to the “NEW” Reality Check Blog. Take your time and check out all of the new features. All of the posts below this one give a more detailed “how to” and “why” about the new blog. At the top of the the blog you will find all new pages that are here to help teens grow in their love for God and others. Please leave your comments below about what you think about the “NEW” blog!
