Baaa, Baaa, Black Sheep

Sheep aren’t very smart—and neither are we sometimes. Sheep wander off, get lost, and fall off cliffs. They require constant watching. Each of us has drifted away like a silly sheep. We have left God’s well-marked paths to follow our own wrong ways.

Maybe you were raised in a Christian home, went to church faithfully, and were home-schooled until sixth grade. Then you go to public school. You expect the kids to make fun of you, but instead they invite you to games, parties and movies. You know your parents wouldn’t approve of the movies you’re seeing, but you don’t want to look judgmental. Anyway, the movies are pretty funny. Like a wandering sheep, you stray off a godly path.

At one party, when someone produces some pills and other drugs, you nearly fall off the cliff. You come to your senses, though, and call your dad to pick you up. “I have wandered away like a lost sheep; come and find me, for I have not forgotten your commands.” (Psalm 119:176 NLT) He’s there in ten minutes. Sobbing in the car on the way home, you tell your dad what happened. At home, your dad leans over and hugs you hard. “I’m so glad you called,” he says.

If you’ve wandered off the right path, it’s never too late to go home.

Believing God

Can you identify with Jamie? She had a hard time believing anyone. She’d heard her older brother declare he never took drugs—then watched him be arrested for drug abuse. Her dad had promised he’d be there forever—just a month before he walked out without explanation. So when her mom promised one weekend that she’d take Saturday off and go with Jamie to an amusement park, Jamie muttered, “Yeah, I’ll believe that when I see it.” Her mom was hurt that Jamie didn’t believe her. It didn’t seem fair. She hadn’t done anything to lose Jamie’s confidence or make Jamie distrust her.

Even more so, God deserves our trust, and he wants us to believe him. “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6 NIV) You don’t just have faith (or trust) by itself. You have faith IN something or someone. The most reliable place to put our faith is God.

People will let you down. Sometimes it’s on purpose, and they make promises they don’t intend to keep. Most often, people don’t mean to disappoint you—they’re just imperfect human beings. Put your trust in God instead of people. He will never let you down.

Scatter Some Seed Today

Have you ever felt like Amber? Her grandma fell and broke her arm. Grandma loved a clean house, and Amber knew she’d appreciate having someone clean it for her. With her cast, it was too hard for Grandma to drag the vacuum around or scrub out the tub. To be honest, Amber wished she didn’t have to spend her Saturday cleaning Grandma’s house. However, because she cared, she went anyway.

Several hours later, with the house sparkling, Grandma and Amber sat in her porch swing eating ice cream and laughing about things Amber had done when she was younger. Grandma also shared some stories about her own childhood, things that surprised Amber. By the time Amber had to leave, she hated to go. The joy and laughter far outweighed the energy she’d spent cleaning.

When you give to someone in need—whether it’s money, your time, or your talents—you are planting a seed. If you give just a little, the blessings you get back will be little as well. If you give a lot, the harvest of gratitude, joy, and peace will be huge. “Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop.” (2 Corinthians 9:6 NLT) Be generous—scatter your seed far and wide! Then enjoy your bumper crop of blessings.

Settle Down!

You pace back and forth across the living room, muttering under your breath. You can’t believe it. Both your best friends have been chosen for pep squad, but not you! Your cheers at tryouts were just as good as theirs! Why weren’t you chosen? Weren’t you pretty enough? Had you looked awkward or stupid? The more you fume, the worse you feel.

Not being chosen for pep squad is disappointing—but you’re allowing yourself to get emotionally troubled by keeping your mind stirred up. Two hours later, when you have a headache and upset stomach, you decide to get a grip. You pour your heart out to God, giving him your frustration and disappointment—and fear that your friends will now leave you behind. You let it go and allow Jesus’ peace to fill your heart, calm your emotions, and settle your thoughts.

Yes, it’s disappointing. But tryouts are over, and you still have all the good things in your life that you had before. God is in control, and he knows more about the situation than you do. Remember, “The LORD will give strength to His people; The LORD will bless His people with peace.” (Psalm 29:11 NKJV)

No Looking Back

Natalie’s best friend took cigarettes from her mom’s purse, lit up and offered one to Natalie. She didn’t want it, but she didn’t want her friend to think she was a baby. Within a month, Natalie was hooked. Her hands shook and she got headaches if she went too long without smoking. Finally, she decided she hated the smell, the taste, the cost, the sneaking around, and the headaches. It was hard, but she quit. Her best friend still offered her cigarettes, but Natalie walked away from the habit and didn’t look back.

The angels warned Lot’s family to run from the city and not look back. Lot’s wife ignored that warning and paid with her life. What’s wrong with looking back on a past you want to escape? It usually means you have a divided heart. You want to do God’s will, but part of you wants to keep your old habits. You can’t live with one foot in the world and one foot in God’s kingdom and be happy. When you decide to leave a sinful habit behind, make a clean break. Face forward. Don’t look back and take a chance of being trapped again. It’s not worth it!

Listen Up!

One day you notice a dark spot on your shoulder. How did you manage to get ink or marker there? You scrub till the skin is pink, but the spot remains. You forget about it, but a month later, you notice it again. It seems darker—and bigger. You scrub till it bleeds and cover it with a Band-Aid. Then one day you read an article in a teen magazine about skin cancer. It says to watch out for moles that darken or grow. You pray about it and go to talk to your mom. “Look at this,” you say, peeling off the Band-Aid. After consulting a dermatologist (skin doctor), you have the suspicious mole removed. It isn’t skin cancer—not yet. But getting advice from your mom and the skin doctor may have saved your life. Ignoring the problem could have been deadly.

When you have a problem, it’s good to share it with trusted others, like a parent, teacher, counselor, youth pastor, or doctor. Confiding in your best friend is fine, but your friend may not know what to do either. “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.” (Proverbs 15:22 TNIV) It can be scary to share your problem with an adult, but it’s even scarier keeping it to yourself and not knowing what to do. People care about you and want to help. Let them!

I Will Not Fear

Chloe was afraid all the time. Her single mom had lost her job, and she was often sick. Her dad moved clear across the country. Chloe was being bullied at school by three tough girls who followed her around. She kept quiet about it, not wanting to add to her mother’s worries. No matter where she turned—school or home—there was something for Chloe to fear. Then Amber invited Chloe to church. Chloe learned about trusting in Jesus as her Savior, and how everything was under God’s control. Now she didn’t have to fight her fears alone. She could trust God to work, free her from fear, and deal with the scary situations.

Sometimes, believers even brood about their fears. They forget something very important—connecting with God through prayer. “I prayed to the LORD, and he answered me, freeing me from all my fears.” (Psalm 34:4 NLT) Talk to the Lord. Tell him your worries and concerns. Thank him that he has everything under control—even the things that look out-of-control to you. Sometimes fears can make you feel lonely and cut off from God. What if you’ve prayed, but you feel like your prayers aren’t reaching heaven? Our emotions are poor judges of the truth. You may not feel God’s help, but keep on praying. Freedom from your fears will come. “In sudden fear I had cried out, ‘I have been cut off from the LORD!’ But you heard my cry for mercy and answered my call for help.” (Psalm 31:22 NLT)