Teens

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What’s so Satisfying About Faith?
By Dan Blankenship
© 2006 Dan Blankenship


I have often wondered about my own personality changes since I began taking my faith more seriously. At an early age, I worried about everything. The more I matured in my walk with Christ, the more I began to see worry as wasted energy (see Matthew 6:25-34).

It is nearly impossible to focus on the calling of the Gospels when we are exhausted from worry about the everyday struggles all people face. I’ve learned to not sweat the small stuff and shrug off the big stuff. My faith commands that I see the prize that comes from following God’s will – that we become children of God (see John 1:10-13).

There is an extremely satisfying quality about Christianity; it involves gaining more through seeking less personal pleasure and understanding the joy that comes from helping others in need (see Luke 10:25-37).

Jesus told us to be good neighbors because it commands people to respect each other, stopping a fallen society from ignoring the plight of the less fortunate. And when we gain the attention of those we’ve come to the aid of, it opens up a window of opportunity to tell others why we see all men worthy of kindness and importance.

When humans start a new project, be it painting a room or restoring a classic automobile, we feel a since of accomplishment. We are satisfied when we finish an important task. And how much more should we celebrate and take joy in our work for the Kingdom of God (see Luke 15:8-10)? Our satisfaction reaches a higher plane when we concentrate on tasks geared toward the eternal mindset.

Today’s teenage Christians have a lot to compete against when attempting to do good works and follow them with sharing the Good News. The mass media in the United States has tried to discourage people from “recruiting” anyone into a religious ideology. But teens on fire for Jesus have an answer for such media imposed limitations; Christianity is not really an ideology. It is a love connection between the Creator and His creation. And Christianity is not as much about religion or recruitment as it is about forgiveness, salvation, and sacrifice.

The most satisfied, worry-rejecting, and levelheaded teens I have met are teens who have embraced their faith without fear of how others will interpret that faith. Teens more concerned with what God thinks about them than what their peers do will ultimately end up gaining the respect of both entities, though the peers may not admit it for years to come.

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