Sharing the Love

Kayla’s Sunday school teacher said, “Your life may be the only Bible your friends read. What are they learning about God by watching you?” Kayla knew she didn’t do any really bad stuff—no drinking, no drugs, no smoking, no swearing. But did her unbelieving friends (none of whom went to church) learn anything about God’s love by being around her? From that day on, Kayla determined that her life and her actions would demonstrate God to her friends. She made a list of things she could do to show God’s love, forgiveness, and compassion in some form each day to a friend. Sometimes she gave a sincere compliment or a word of encouragement. Sometimes she helped a friend carry something or gave a hand with homework. Sometimes it was forgiving a friend instead of being mad.

If your friends never read any Bible except your life, would they learn that “love is patient, love is kind”? (1 Corinthians 13:4 TNIV) Give to others what God has so freely given you. He’s devoted to your well-being, he forgives instead of getting revenge, he’s sympathetic to your problems, he’s patient, and he’s kind. Let God have control of your life so you can love others the way he loves you!

Sticks and Stones

Insults, shameful comments, criticisms—all are words intended to hurt you. If you have a verbal abuser in your home, school, or neighborhood, you know how those remarks can wound your heart. They can even make you feel sick. Often no one else is around to hear the cruel words, and there is no one to comfort.

Michelle was overweight, and people teased her or criticized her about it. “Oink! Oink!” the neighbor boy said when she walked by. “Blubber body!” the kids at school called her. “Michelle, you’ll never slim down if you eat all that ice cream,” her mom lectured her. “Don’t you want to look pretty like your big sister?” Grandma asked her. An old nursery rhyme says, “Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words can never hurt me.” Words may not make you bleed, but they definitely hurt—badly. In fact, abusive words can take far longer to heal than broken bones or cuts.

If insults have wounded you, go directly to Jesus with your hurt. He himself said he was sent to heal the brokenhearted. (Luke 4:18; Isaiah 61:1) Ask him to heal your heart from the pain caused by scornful words. Believe it or not, God can comfort you better than any person on earth. In fact, the Holy Spirit is called the “Comforter.” Comforting is one of his most important jobs. “I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever.” (John 14:16 KJV) God says you are worthy, valuable, and made in his image. And God loves you just the way you are!

Getting It All Out

You know from many years of Sunday school that believers are supposed to “do everything without grumbling or arguing.” (Philippians 2:14 TNIV) And yet, some days you feel so frustrated that you’re ready to explode. Sometimes it’s little things: your sister drinking all the orange juice or your best friend forgetting to return your favorite shirt. Sometimes it’s big things: your mom yelling at you for no good reason or an unfair grade on a test. You bottle up your feelings, pretending things are great. When you pray, she feel like a phony.

You have a wrong idea about being honest with God. He’s the one person to whom you can always tell the absolute truth. If it weren’t all right to be totally honest with God, would David have written these Psalms? “O LORD, hear me as I pray; pay attention to my groaning.” (Psalm 5:1 NLT) “Give heed to me and answer me; I am restless in my complaint and am surely distracted.” (Psalm 55:2 NASU) And in Psalm 142:2 (TNIV), David says, “I pour out before him my complaint; before him I tell my trouble.” Being totally honest with God about your feelings is good. It isn’t the same as grumbling about your life to everyone you meet. It’s just sharing your feelings with him so you can sort them out together—and he can help you in each situation. Talk to God. He cares.

Way to Go!

Samantha wasn’t athletic or pretty. She couldn’t sing, play an instrument, or create art. But Samantha was very popular. Why? She loved others, and she showed it by encouraging people. She cheered hard at the baseball games. She attended her classmates’ concerts and complimented them on their band and vocal solos. She noticed when people looked sad and did her best to cheer them up. She didn’t do it to be popular, but people loved having her around.

How can you be an encourager? Notice when someone tries hard to accomplish something. Say, “Great job!” or “Way to go!” Also, find someone going through a hard experience that you have been through yourself. If your parents were divorced a few years ago, and a classmate is now coping with it, you can offer encouragement. Let her know that things will get better. You could also tell her about the comfort you received from God, who is the best encourager of all: “the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4 TNIV) Make it your goal to encourage someone in your family or at school every day. One surprising benefit will be that your own joy will greatly increase.