It was another typical Monday morning and I was not looking forward to waking up early. The alarm went off and I was dreading the start of another day.
Life was just not that exciting. In fact, it felt a little boring.
As a 16 year old girl life is very much the same old, same old. Lot’s of school, cooking, cleaning, spending time with family, and trying to figure out what I want to do when I grow up.
I really don’t have a schedule full of exciting adventures or thrilling opportunities.
Because of my “same old, same old” schedule, I’ve struggled to believe that my life matters to God. I’ve often felt like my life isn’t super important considering I’m not a missionary in a far off country and I’m not currently doing something big and glamorous.
Have you ever felt that way before?
Long story short I learned that I was totally believing a lie. I believed that what I was doing right now didn’t matter to God.
I was believing the lie that I needed to do something big in order for God to notice me.
That is not true.
Slowly but surely I’ve realized that my life is going to look very different than a missionary’s life; but that doesn’t make me any less important.
God has put me (and you) in a very specific spot for a specific reason.
I came across this quote from C.J. Mahaney a few months ago and he really nailed it:
“Our jobs aren’t something to be endured until we can really serve God (at church, on a missions trip etc.) – they are serving God.”
That quote is saying that we can each serve God exactly where He has us. We don’t have to wait for life to change in order to be used by Him. We can serve Him, honor Him, and bring Him glory in our current circumstances.
That really encourages me!
1 Corinthians 10:31 is also really encouraging. It says, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”
This verse showed me that I can bring glory to God in “whatever” I do.
If you’re anything like me you’re probably thinking, “No way. I can’t bring glory to God in School! School is just school. There’s nothing God-honoring in it!” I hear you on that one. But, think about it this way.
God has given us brains so we can learn, grow and mature. The more we learn the better we can serve Him. Doing school is just one of the many ways we can equip ourselves to better serve and glorify God.
Using your teen years for God’s glory.
Here are three things that have really helped me take hold of my teen years and use them for God’s glory.
1. Glorify God Today.
Don’t only live for the future or for bigger opportunities. Serve and glorify God exactly where He has you today.
2. Do Hard Things.
Take the opportunities you have today to do the things you won’t have time for in the future. For example: learn to sew, learn a new language, learn how to build a website, mentor a younger girls etc. Simply put, do hard things now.
3. Choose to Worship.
Don’t sit around and complain about your circumstances. Choose to worship God and thank Him through the good times and the bad. You’ll be amazed by how much more fulfilling life feels by simply thanking, praising, and worshiping God.
No matter what today looks like you and I have a choice to make.
You can choose to serve God joyfully or you can choose to live in a constant state of unhappiness. Personally, I’d rather serve God with a joyful heart in every circumstance that comes my way. Don’t you feel the same way?
Let’s Wrap it Up.
God has you in a specific family, city, place and time period for a very specific reason. Are you taking advantage of the opportunities to serve Him exactly where He has you? Why or why not?
P.S. This blog was written by our fabulous younger sister, Rebekah. She’s 16 years old, a huge jokester and is the owner of her adorable dog Maggie. You can learn more about Rebekah at our family blog Oh Happy Heights
