3 Minutes of Faith

Sometimes we think of others as a goal to meet, and they are the ones judging if you make it there. Especially for teenagers, we think that we have to completely change ourselves and the things we do to get a spot in the popular group or the big friend group. Even for adults, we compare ourselves to how others' lives are going or seem to be going. For me, I noticed that in Middle School you tend to drop your faith. Teenagers seem to think that you can't be a Christian and be cool. I believe that it's because you don't want to look too spiritual so that people don't think you are not going to break the rules or do something crazy. People that think that way don't think of it as breaking rules, they think of it as having fun and letting loose. Something that I have learned to do with my anxiety, is to put up a face so that people think I'm fine when really I could be in the darkest part of my mind. We try to make a perfect life to show off to people. We use...

Have you ever felt like you aren't good enough? I think that we have all had a time when we wish we could have done better. In our minds, even when we do it involuntarily, we create a status that we try to live up to. However, it's usually a status that would involve having the perfect life, perfect family, perfect job, and a perfect relationship. As we all come to know, there's no such thing as a perfect life. Every day there's a new battle to face and a new battle to fight. Sometimes we try so hard to do everything right that when we don't make it to our status, we give up instead of keep on pushing through. The status' we create are sometimes due to comparing ourselves to others. When in reality their life could be just as messed up as yours. In today's world, social media creates that perfect image of a perfect life and leaves out all of the battles that are tearing you down. For me, I see a lot of people with their friends having a great time doing t...

Many times, we hear people say what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Sometimes, you wonder what they mean because when you're in a battle you feel weak. My anxiety and depression have been going on for 3 years now. Through all of it I just keep thinking of how I feel worn out from battling it. I think that the deeper meaning to what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, for a Christian, would be that when we are in a tough situation or feeling weak God is there to renew our strength and help us battle through it. I know you probably hear that a lot but it's true. In 1 Peter 1:6-7 it says,  " In all this you greatly rejoice,  though now for a little while  you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.   7  These have come so that the proven genuineness  of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire —may result in praise, glory and honor  when Jesus Christ is revealed." So if you feel like you're i...

Something that is hard to learn but that we all should learn is to love. Love in the midst of circumstances. Thinking back in the Bible to God's love, we can see that God Loved A betrayer, a murderer, and those who went against his every belief. Yet, He never stopped showing them love. In John 13:1-17, Jesus washes the feet of his disciples, that includes Judas who betrayed Him, Peter who denied Him, and Thomas who doubted Him. Washing people's feet in that day and time was a servant's job. So just think about how Jesus gave up His role of being in power and a king and lowered himself to the point of the servant and a Slave for those He loved. Think of the most you have ever loved Someone and what you would do for that person. In John 3:16, it says:  For God so loved the world he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life.  God sent his son to be tortured and beaten, hung on a cross until death and was pierc...

Strength can be hard to keep. Through hard times and storms we feel like we have to be strong for ourselves and others. For me, I felt like I had to be strong for my family because we had been through so much and I didn't want to add more stress. One thing that my mom has told me that has really stuck, is that sometimes our strength is in our weakness. I told my mom that I felt so weak after battling depression for so long. I had to learn that others around me, will help hold up my arms. What I mean is, in the story about Moses in Exodus 17, he had to hold his arms up to win the battle; he had to have people help them through it and hold up his arms for him. Sometimes we feel like a war depends on if we stay strong when really, we're stronger when we have others to support us, including God. Another thing that I had to learn, was to give myself Mercy. I have had anxiety for 3 years and have dealt with a lot of storms throughout that. However, through it all I never gave up. ...