|
Dear AG,
My name is Alexis. I am 16 and I have been having a
problem lately. I have felt a real conviction that the Lord doesn't
want me dating boys right now. But, I look around at school and see
all of the other girls with their boyfriends and I feel alone. I try
to keep my mind off of them but sure enough my mind wanders. I think
it's the devil leading into temptation. How do I keep my mind more
focused on God and not on silly boys?
Sincerely,
Anti-Boy Crazy
Dear Anti-Boy Crazy,
First of all, I want
to say that it is very normal to be interested in boys at your age,
however, I commend you for holding true to your conviction even
though it has not been very easy for you. Here are a few
suggestions that will hopefully help you during this time. Some
might be new to you and some you might have already put into
practice. First, praying and asking God to keep your mind focused
is never out of line! God will honor you for your commitment and He
will be your help. Reading His word is another way to to stay
focused. You will find in scripture where Jesus or others were
tempted and overcame their temptation with the help of God! How
encouraging that is for us today! Lastly, this is very practical but
very true. Limit your communication with boys. Whether it's thru
email, face-book, texting, or even sitting by them at lunch, too
much communication with boys will hinder your focus. Surround
yourself with godly girlfriends and you'll find yourself thinking
less about boys. Yes, boys can be very distracting at times, but
keep a hold of your conviction. God has given it to you for a
reason! Use this time to focus on getting closer to Him.
Love,
AG
Dear AG,
I'm going to high school
next year. My dad will let me be home-schooled if I want. I'm a weak
Christian and I've dealt with things that caused me to kind of back
slide in the past. My friends don't exactly help me. I'm scared that
if I stay in public school I'll back-slide again but it will help me
with college. Should I stay in public school or go with home
schooling?
Sincerely,
Uncertain
Dear Future High School Student,
First of all, let me
congratulate you upon entering into high school. This is a great
accomplishment! I feel that in your situation it wouldn’t hurt to
try home-schooling for a year. However the real issue here is not
public school verses home school. The real issue is your walk with
God and the people you are choosing to surround yourself with.
That’s why it’s so very important for you to develop a close
relationship with God. You can do this by having a set time every
day to read your Bible and pray. Pick a time that will work best
with your school schedule. Once you've established this personal
time with Him, you will find yourself getting closer to God. When
you're walking close to Him daily, the chances of you back sliding
are very slim to none. Sometimes we also have to step back and look
at the friends we are hanging out with. If they are hindering you
from doing what is right, you need to find new friends. That
doesn’t mean you are rude to them and totally give them the cold
shoulder, but it’s best to not hang around someone who is going to
bring you down! After you’ve really worked on your relationship
with Him and found Godly friends to hang out with, I think it would
be alright to go back to public school. God can use you to be a
witness to your unsaved friends and teachers. But, first you have to
get yourself to the place you need to be in God, before you can be
an instrument for him. I believe in you and want what’s best for
you. I hope this will help you in some way.
Love,
AG
|
