Loving Living Giving, and Being a Servant of Christ

How to Stay Strong When Everyone Else is Tearing You Down

    As you noticed the title of this chapter this can go many different ways. This is a big concept that I struggle with half the time. As a teenager, we go through the peer pressure, time management, stress, and confusion. When we are in school there's negativity all around. I find it hard to be happy in an environment like that! It really tests your faith, and that's when we need to have God the most! On top of the negativity, we have peer pressure and temptations to do things we shouldn't do, homework that takes away time for God, and stress from everything going on at once all the time, and we have the fact that we are still trying to figure out who we are.

    I think the best person to relate to for this concept would be Moses. He had a lot of pressure on him to speak to others and be a leader. It was God's plan for him, and Moses didn't like that all too well.

We can relate to him because we have a lot of pressure on us to do well in school and to keep up our faith in God with many temptations all around us. God may of put us in that situation because he wants something for us we don't understand yet, and that's why the confusion is there and maybe when we do find out we don't like that plan, so we go our own way. In many cases when we go our own way it tends to lean to the society's way. Our society tells us lies that do not go God's way, and without God leading you, you tend to give into the lies that are thrown before you.

In Exodus 4-6 we see what becomes of Moses as he follows what God had in store for him. In Exodus 4, God talks to Moses through the burning bush, giving him instructions to go to Pharaoh to let the Hebrews go. In Exodus 5, Moses and Aaron talk to Pharaoh and Pharaoh doesn't believe what they say, but Moses doesn't give up. Pharaoh even gave them a punishment for approaching them. They were to have to gather their own straw to make brick. Moses then doubted God, because the Hebrews were struggling without straw. In Exodus 6, God tells Moses that he needs to trust him and that he has a plan. Moses still questions God, but throughout Moses's whole journey through Exodus he sees that when he trusts God everything goes good, but when they don't trust God horrible things happen. I encourage you to read the whole book of Exodus, it really encourages you to trust God and it shows what He can do, and God can do powerful and amazing things!

    Moses's story can relate to us because even through all the doubts he had if he trusts God and goes God's way everything happens right. I don't mean that there won't be struggles, but everything will happen the way it should be as you focus more on God. When you go your own way it makes Satan happy, and makes God sad. He will be waiting for your return. God will not give up on you, and he'll love you no matter what, but because he gives us mercy and grace we should want to make Him happy. That is why we serve him. That is why we try everything in our power to stay strong in Him and read the Bible and spread the word! Everything about serving God puts me in a good mood! So, when someone says a negative thing let's say a positive back, because when God is in us we can't help but express it! I encourage you to encourage others, and just always be thinking about God! It can be hard, but if you really want to dedicate your life to God it's worth every effort!

Thank you for reading! I really like the song, and I think that it fits the topic, because when we have Jesus it shows! Just by serving and loving Jesus, we can show people God's love by our actions! Hope you all like this, comment your thoughts, much love, Meg <3