Tag: christianity

• Kaleidoscope

  Have you ever looked through a kaleidoscope? As you turn the colored lens, the colors reflect, creating gorgeous patterns. There are different kinds, but I had one that had a plastic lens with colored beads in it.

    I remember looking through the kaleidoscope and thinking that I would never see that exact pattern again. That may not be able to be proved, but I felt like it was true. Every single time I turned the lens, I saw a beautiful new pattern.

   Now think about yourself. You are unique. I will spare you the scientific details, but there is a 0% chance that there will ever be another you. You are one of a kind. You are a masterpiece. 

   You are not someone else. Just like a kaleidoscope reflects different patterns, we all reflect Jesus in different ways. Jesus’ light creates beauty in us. 

    Different situations may bring out different parts of your personality. That does not mean something is wrong with you. Yes, you will mess up. But that does not take away from how amazing you are. You are beautiful. Just turn your lens. Repent and walk in the forgiveness God wants to give you.

  Psalms 139:14

  I will praise you

  because I have been remarkably and wondrously made.

  Your works are wondrous,

  and I know this very well.

   God created you. He doesn’t make mistakes. You are his masterpiece. And masterpieces are priceless.  Accept your worth and beauty. If you made something, would you be thrilled if it told you that it was not good enough? (Apart from the fact that it could talk.) You would probably be hurt or offended, or maybe just sad.

    God values you. You are not helping him by devaluing yourself. You are a priceless treasure. You are carefully designed to be unique and reflect God to a hurting and broken world. 

  God can shine through your brokenness. He can heal your heart. You are amazing, and you are unique. Your life can be a kaleidoscope. Let God shine his light through you. He will make you beautiful.

  April 12, 2025

  bible, christianity, faith, god, Identity, jesus, Teenagers, Value

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• You Have an Inheritance

  Did you know that you have an inheritance from Christ?

  Ephesians 1:14

  The Holy Spirit is the down payment of our inheritance, until the redemption of the possession, to the praise of his glory.

  Romans 8:16-17

  The Spirit himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children, and if children, also heirs—heirs of God and coheirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.

  That is an amazing thought. We have not only have an eternal, glorious inheritance, but we are coheirs with Christ. We have a share in what Jesus earned. And if you forgot what He earned, it is basically everything good.

   Of course, we still have to endure the suffering but notice the promise that comes with it. If we have the suffering, we also have the glory. Even a small part of Jesus’ glory would be amazing, but we get more than that. We are coheirs.

   Coheirs do not just get a tiny part of whatever is rejected by everyone else. We have a share that is set apart for us. Part of our inheritance is God’s infinite love. 

   We even have a down payment. Our down payment is the Holy Spirit. Since we have the Holy Spirit, why do we hesitate to ask for more of it? 

   Maybe we picture God as annoyed if we ask him anything. But the truth is that he is not annoyed. A more accurate picture would be of God smiling and saying “I have been wanting to bless you with that! I am so glad you are finally asking for it.”

   God gave us his only Son, but we sometimes act like God would be unwilling to give us something that is so easy for him. He is powerful. We cannot empty his store of good things. He loves and wants to bless us. He is our Father. 

  Matthew 7:11

  If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him.

  You probably give good gifts to people you love. That is not something that is hard to understand. God loves us infinitely more than we can imagine. So why would he be upset if we asked him for something good? 

   Our definition of good may be different from his, but he will not withhold what we need from us. That does not mean that if we really want a new game system, he will give it to us. It does mean that if we ask for more of things like the fruits of the Spirit, he will give them to us.

   Ask him if you need wisdom. Ask him if you need help with self control. Ask him if you need more joy. He is not going to refuse you. You may not see it immediately, but he will answer you. 

  Accept your inheritance. He has already given it to you. Ask for what you need, and watch how he will answer. 
  

  April 3, 2025

  bible, christianity, faith, god, jesus

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• Prayer Doesn’t Have to Be a 911 Call

  Do you ever think that you have to have something important to say before you pray? Maybe you think that there are so many people with urgent needs. Does God really want to hear about your small problems?

   The short answer is yes. He absolutely wants to hear about every little detail of what happened at school today. He loves hearing from you, even if it is just a recap of your day. 

  If you are not convinced, here is something for you to think about. If you are hanging out with your friend and you ask them about their life, are you going to be surprised if they talk to you? Hopefully not. You were asking because you care about them. 

   God loves us so much more than we can ever imagine. So why do we think he would be upset if we talked about something that we think is not important? Also, I am guessing that if you are thinking about praying about something, it is probably important to you. And if it is important to you, then it is important to God. 

  1 Peter 5:6-7

  Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your cares on him, because he cares about you.

  Did you catch that? We can cast all our cares upon God, because he cares about us. Of course, the first part also points out that we should do this with humility. Humility does not mean we think less of ourselves, it means we think of ourselves less. 

  God does not need to hear all about how great you think you are. He already knows how amazing you are because he made you! So tell him how you felt when you received the award, but you probably do not need to list all the great qualities you have that helped you win the award. 

  Philippians 4:6

  Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

   If you are struggling with anything, no matter how small it may seem to others, you can pray about it. The Bible never says that you have to have an important request to pray. It says to pray about everything. Not just some things. Big and small.  

   If you are worrying about something, stop and pray about it. God hears you. He will always answer you, even if it is not the answer you were expecting.

   You can pray about your grades. You can pray about how you feel. You can pray just to say thank you for the great day you had at school today. You can (and should!) pray about the bad news you just heard. 

   God wants to hear from you about everything. He wants to talk to you. Tell him about your struggles and your successes. He is always listening. Just talk to him.

  So what are you waiting for?

  March 30, 2025

  bible, christianity, faith, god, jesus, prayer

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