How to be a Successful Young Christian

When we see the verse in Psalms 90:10, it says that “the days of our lives are seventy years.” When we look at how many years a person is a teenager, it’s about seven years. That is 10% of a person’s life. Why does that matter?

Our teenage years are a crucial period, a ‘tithe’ we offer to God. During this time, we develop our character, faith, and understanding of our purpose under God’s guidance.

If you devote these years to God, you will set in motion a lifestyle of honoring God.

4 Ways You Can Give Your Teenage Years to God

1. Prioritize your spiritual life above everything else.

We see in Genesis that God speaks to the soil and water to produce from it trees, plants, and animals.

Plants came from the soil and need it to survive; fish came from the water and need it to survive (Genesis 1:11).

Humans came from God (Genesis 1:26). When we realize that we came from Him and still need Him, it helps us see the importance of our spiritual connection.

2. Take care of your spiritual life by reading the Bible and ministering to others.

The Bible is not just a book; it’s the living word of God. Read whatever translation that’s the easiest for you to understand, but invest in it.

We see throughout the Bible that young people like Timothy, Miriam, Samuel, and even a young girl in 2 Kings 5 made a significant impact in their time and culture. Their age was not a limitation to evangelize or to be the voice of God for their generation.

Just like the boy who helped feed the masses with Jesus (John 6:9-10), the Lord can use you to make an impact in your generation.

3. Be aware of attractions that become distractions.

In the Bible, we see that Adam is so lost in God that He is so focused on doing what God told Him to do. During this time, it is God that makes Adam aware of the loneliness that he is living in. It was not Adam telling God.

The Bible tells us that Adam fell into a deep sleep, and then God presented someone to Him (Gen 2:21). During times of loneliness, I encourage you not to bring someone to God for Him to change; wait for God to introduce someone to you.

Attractions can easily become distractions, leading us away from our spiritual walk. It’s important to remain vigilant and focused on our spiritual growth during this time. Go into “sexual sleep.” Don’t date for fun or because of loneliness. Get lost in God and wait until He awakens you to introduce you to someone who’s meant for you.

4. Don’t listen to the lies.

We see in the story of Adam and Eve that this beautiful couple is enjoying their service to God when the snake speaks to them and tells them, “Has God really said?”

The devil will always try to lie to you about your identity, purpose, and worth. Here are the common lies he’ll say and the Scriptures to combat those lies.

• The enemy’s lie: You are an accident. The truth: Jer 29:11
• The enemy’s lie: You are a victim. The truth: Rom 8:37
• The enemy’s lie: You are born in the wrong body. The truth: Gen 1:26
• The enemy’s lie: Love is love. The truth: 1 Jn 4:8
• The enemy’s lie: You are what people say. The truth: 2 Cor 5:17
• The enemy’s lie: Suicide is the solution. The truth: Jn 10:10.

Conclusion

As young people, embracing these biblical truths and living them out can transform not just your life but also the community around you.

I encourage you to be the salt in your school, the light in your home, and the hope in your society. Remember, you are here for a purpose, and that purpose is divine.