 When I was a teenager I was overwhelmed with guilt and shame. I didn't murder anyone or anything, but I felt like I was a lousy Christian and that I must be a disappointment to God. It wasn't until I was much older that I found out that guilt and shame are two of Satan's favourite tools to keep us from being effective for Jesus. Dan DeWitt has an interesting article on guilt and shame on www.thegospelcoalition.org.  We need to deal with our sin and shame so that it does not keep us from the amazing things that God has planned for us to do. Here's what the Bible says about it:
Psalm 103:12 He has taken our sins away from us as far as the east is from west. Romans 8:1 There is no condemnation now for those who live in union with Christ Jesus. These two verses make it clear that when God looks at us, he says, "not guilty" because Jesus took the punishment for our sin. To deal with our shame we need to consider our identity in Christ. Ephesians 2:4 But God is rich in mercy, and he loved us very much. GOD LOVES YOU! Ephesians 2:5 It is by God's grace that you have been saved. YOU ARE SAVED! Ephesians 2:10 He has created us for a life of good deeds, which he has already prepared for us to do. HE HAS GOOD PLANS FOR YOU! I could go on but you get the idea. Next time the voices of guilt and shame are loud in your head, refute them with Bible verses about your forgiveness through Jesus and who you are in him.
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 When I was a teenager I was boy crazy - I mean I was obsessed. I always had a crush - someone that I would dream about day and night. I'd imagine going on dates and hanging out with them and holding hands and kissing (it was PG rated). My reality could not have been further from my fantasies. I was always the girl that boys wanted to hang out with, but not date and I was friend-zoned every time I was fond of a boy.
You might think that all this boy craziness was pretty harmless but in hindsight it was a waste of time and energy. I could have invested that time reading, studying and memorising the Bible, praying, helping people, being a better friend... I could have been doing a thousand other things that were better than pining after a guy. The Bible doesn't say that daydreaming about boys is a sin but consider the following verses: Romans 8:5 Those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. Colossians 3:2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. Boys are definitely one of the things on earth. When I was a teenager I wish I had focused on being me and having fun and not worrying about trying to impress my latest crush. There was plenty of time for boys in my twenties - I wish I had been content just being friends. |
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