Quit Waiting...Start Living NOW!

I have to admit, my heart and mind were cluttered with the thoughts of teenage living when I was a teen.  Granted, some things in life were a tad simpler (and more frustrating) back in the pre-historic teenage years of my life.  We had no cell phones, internet, xbox, wii, ps2-3s, chat rooms, Disney Channel, Starbucks, Yogurt-land, nor Myspace.  Most of us didn't even have cars...just access to them or the public bus system.  Summer seemed to drag on and we "looked forward" to school starting up again in September.  We all seemed to be in a "wait" mode to grow up.

 

I had a close friend who fell in love with my cousin, who was a few years older than he.  He always was dissastisfied with his current age and couldn't wait to be "19."  I truly think he thought something transforming was going to happen to him and all would be well once he turned 19.

 

I recall my mom trying to talk to me about spiritual things.  Sure, I went to church...was involved with my Youth Group and told everyone I was a Christian.  However, I wasn't living my life in view of how God saw sin, or how to please Him in all my thoughts, words, deeds and actions.  All that "super Christian" thing would happen to me when I was older.  Right now (when a teenager) I was bent on being a teenager and gave little thought to God or what He wanted in my life.  Like many of you today, I was more interested in that guy, that new moving coming up, the newest fashions, the "right" parties and getting home in time to watch that NEW music video show, MTV.  I did the obligatory summer and winter camps.  I did the rededication of my life to Christ at least 2 times a year for about 7-8 years.

 

I always equated living the Christian life with being an adult and really couldn't grasp how it related to me as a teenager.  I think I really believed I'd wake up one day and "magically" be this super Christian.

 

The same is true with many of you.  The verse we focus on today in PW's devo leaves us no room for excuses or "putting off for later" living the Christian life now.

PlanetWisdom.com Devotionals

Everything You Need Posted: 09 Mar 2009 02:52 PM PDT "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness." (2 Peter 1:3) When you're a student, it's easy to think of "real life" as something that's coming after high school and then college graduation. Or after you get married. For now, you're just in prep mode. Nothing really counts. The race starts for real somewhere down the road. I remember as a student sometimes following that mindset into a pretty casual attitude about my relationship with God. I felt like I'd need to get really serious about living like Jesus once I got out of high school. Until then, I was still waiting for the all the pieces of puzzle to fall into place on the day I was released from institutional education. I was wrong. Number one: Today's verse spells it out: You're not missing anything to live exactly the life God calls you to right now. Today. Two: Of course, this is your real life. Now. It won't get any "realer" the day after graduation from anything. If you're not living for Jesus now, you aren't living for Jesus for real. Think: Do you think you're postponing, on some level, getting real about living for God until you're older? Do you think you've believed the lie that you're not yet fully equipped to live for Him? Pray: Thank God that He has given you everything you need for life and godliness. Do: Write this verse down and put it somewhere handy so you'll have to look it in the eye several times this week. Photo by Usodesita Visit PlanetWisdom.com for more great resources!