TAYA ~ Teens and Young Adults

Sometimes it can seem like nobody likes me. We all want to fit in and feel accepted—and being a teenager, these feelings are even more great. It makes life so much harder when we feel like we are not accepted, or alone. It makes it easy to think something is wrong with us.

God has a much different message for us. “For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs” (Zephaniah 3:17). God loves us beyond what we could ever imagine. When God thinks of us, God smiles with delight.

Read Ephesians 1:3-5: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,  even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love  he predestined us^[a] for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,

There are three things I would like you to remember when these thoughts creep into our minds.

• God loves you and chose you. It may feel like everyone around you doesn’t love you, and rejects you but remember God, the creator of the universe loves you and chose you before you were even born.

• God adopted you into his family. Through faith in Jesus you are a now a child of God. Not only does the God who created all things with a breathe love you, but he also wants you to be part of his family.

• Relax and be yourself. God created you in his image. He doesn’t make mistakes so why do you think that when it came to you, God made a mistake? He made you how he wanted, and all you have to do is follow Him and leave the rest up to Him.

All God wants is your attention. Don’t get lost in the trap of feeling like we don’t belong. God delights in our gladness. We belong with Him.

Jimmy

First and foremost I am a follower of Christ. I am far from perfect, but everyday I try and take a step forward to be more like Him. I'm a 20 something writer, husband, youth pastor, realtor, entrepreneur, guitarist, and nerd.