The Respect Dare: Day 3

(feeling a little lost? See what this is all about)

Parents have a lot of responsibilities--more than we really grasp.

Just take a minute to imagine that you suddenly were kicked out of the house and told to fend for yourself--make a mental list of everything you'd have to think about. What would you eat? What would you wear? Where would you live? Get an education? Get a job? Would you have insurance? How would you get around? When would you take care of your house?

And then, imagine you were given a kid, and told that this human being was now yours--their future in the world was now your responsibility (on top of all those other things).

Yeah. And you thought school was stressful.

Your parents already have enough stress to drain their strength.

Proverbs 17:22 says, "A happy heart is like good medicine, but a broken spirit drains your strength."

Be good medicine today--have a happy heart :) As you do what your parents tell you to (day 1) without complaining or arguing (day 2), obey with a cheerful spirit and a smile. As one of the youth pastors at my church likes to say, when your parents ask you to do something, respond with "I'd love to!"--and don't be sarcastic about it.

Now, don't be cheesy or overdo this one. Be real about it. Take it seriously. And even if your parents don't cheer up right away--even if they don't seem to notice!--don't get discouraged. After all, medicine doesn't always work right away. Sometimes it takes time.

Some of you may be thinking, "Okay, my parents don't seem stressed. At all. In fact, they seem pretty cheerful." And that's great! I've been there, too. And that's all the more reason to be cheerful with them.

PS: A fun way to remember this one is to draw a little smilie face on your hand! :)

The Respect Dare: Day 2

(feeling a little lost? See what this is all about)

Philippians 2:14 says, "Do everything without complaining or arguing."

It's a simple enough command. But is it easy in practice? No. Not when your parents tell you to clean your room, and you like it the way it is. Not when your parents tell you to stay home and do homework instead of going to see a movie with your friends. Complaining and arguing--as teenagers, we make those two things our defining characteristics in moments of trouble.

So, here's your dare today: as you obey your parents in everything they tell you (continuing your dare from day 1), stay away from complaining or arguing. Hold your tongue.

The Respect Dare: Day 1

(feeling a little lost? See what this is all about)

Our theme verse for this study is Colossians 3:20: "Children, obey your parents in all things, because this pleases the Lord."

It would be immensely helpful for you if, throughout our study, you worked to memorize this verse. Today, write the verse on your hand, write it on your mirror, put it on a sticky note on your calendar--whatever it takes to bring this verse to your attention.

One of my favorite quotes (albeit by non-Christian Kurt Vonnegut) is "We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be." This dare is about becoming someone who obeys and respects their parents, regardless of whether you feel respect for them or not.

Today, do whatever your parents tell you to. (minus anything illegal or immoral)

Yes, you read that right.

Remember our verse: "Children, obey your parents in all things, because this pleases the Lord." We often feel that we have to prove that we are independent--our own person--by fighting back or disobeying our parents (either to their face or when they're not looking).

Don't do that.

Even if you don't feel like it, even if you argue and fight today, do what they tell you. Obedience makes you your own person--you become a person of character, a person who follows God.

The Respect Dare (based on The Love Dare)

Just yesterday, I watched the movie Fireproof. Its powerful message of love and faithfulness inspired me, even though I'm currently single (if you haven't seen the movie yet, I highly recommend it).

Fireproof inspired me to become more intentional in my relationships with my parents and my little brother. Nevertheless, intentional by itself isn't enough. A plan of action (such as the Love Dare) helps measure progress.

That's why I've decided to start a series for teens based on The Love Dare (note: these are in no was affiliated with or endorsed by Fireproof, The Love Dare, or anybody associated with Fireproof or The Love Dare.)

It's called the Respect Dare, which is to help you with your parents. This dare is based off Colossians 3:20, which says "Children, obey your parents in all things, because this pleases the Lord." (NCV)

I highly recommend you watch Fireproof before starting, and I also recommend that you pray for at least three days and find out whether this is an area God would have you work on. If there's something else He's laid on your heart, then you need to follow that first.

For those of you doing this with me, welcome! We're going to have an exciting time.

Are you ready?

PS: The dares won't necessarily be posted each day--just work on whichever dare is the current day until the next one is posted :)

Truly a still, small voice

As you may guess from my recent posts, I've been thinking a lot about learning to hear God's voice. It's something He's been teaching me lately.

I'd always assumed that the reason people called the voice of God a "still, small voice" was because it's inaudible and inside your heart (or head, whichever you prefer). But I only recently realized that the voice really is still and small compared to the other voices I hear...almost like He's testing to see how closely I pay attention to Him.

For example, I tend to get carried away by emotions. I think most of us teenage girls do. But God's voice isn't a strong emotion--in fact, it sometimes runs contrary to my emotions! (usually when I need an attitude change) And it's quieter than my emotions. I have to be paying attention and desiring to hear His voice.

And God's voice isn't a loud voice. I've heard incorrect--and contradicting--things from "loud" voices in my head (not literal voices; they're more like strong emotions that are really easy to translate into strong words). But God's voice isn't like that.

God's voice just comes. It doesn't need prompting or figuring it out. It's either there or it isn't.

So now, instead of talking to God and then gauging my emotions or trying to figure out what He's saying, I just talk and then relax--knowing He's God and He'll guide me or answer me in His ways and His timing.

Now, I'm just speaking from my very limited and flawed experience. I'm still learning. I'd love to hear about your experiences in the comments section, since this is a topic that I'm still growing in and I'm sure every Christian could grow in more.

That is, until we see Him face-to-face...

What a wonderful thought :)

Encouragement in Matthew 5

If you're feeling down at all today, I encourage you to read Matthew 5 in the Message version of the Bible.

Click here to go to it.

A difference of responses

Have you ever wondered about the angel Gabriel? In Luke 1, he makes two visits: first to Zechariah, to promise the birth of John the Baptist; and second, to Mary, to foretell Jesus' birth. Though both Zechariah and Mary asked questions, Gabriel responded to Zechariah's questions by punishing Zechariah with nine months of muteness--while Gabriel gently answered Mary's questions. What was the difference?

Let's take a look at the first visit. Luke 1:5-22 tells the entire story, but we'll focus on verses 18 through 20. Gabriel has just announced that John the Baptist will be Zechariah's son, and this is Zechariah's answer (from the NCV):

"Zechariah said to the angel, 'How can I know what you say is true? I am an old man, and my wife is old, too.'
The angel answered him, 'I am Gabriel. I stand before God, who sent me to talk to you and to tell you this good news. Now, listen! You will not be able to speak until the day these things happen, ecause you did not believe what I told you. But they will really happen.'"

What do you see in this passage? Zechariah's question was not so much of a question as a challenge. He asked for a verification of the message, but followed up his question with an expression of his belief that the message could not really be verified at all. It's as if your parents came to you one day and said, "We're going to finally buy you a cell phone!"--and you responded (smirking) "Seriously? You've never even owned one yourself--I bet you don't even know how to set up a cell phone plan." How do you think your parents would respond?

Let's take a look at Mary's response next. Her story is told in Luke 1:26-38, but we'll focus on verses 34 through 38:

"Mary said to the angel, 'How will this happen since I am a virgin?'
The angel said to Mary, 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will cover you. For this reason the baby will be holy and will be called the Son of God. Now Elizabeth, your relative, is also pregnant with a son though she is very old. Everyone thought she could not have a baby, but she has been pregnant for six months. God can do anything!'
Mary said, 'I am the servant of the Lord. Let this happen to me as you say!' Then the angel went away."

Can you see the difference? Zechariah asked "How can I know what you say is true?" while Mary asked "How will this happen?" Mary didn't doubt that what the angel said was true. She knew it would happen; she just wanted to know how it would happen. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if a large part of Mary's motivation for asking the angel this question was her desire to follow God--something like, "Okay, how's this going to work out? Do I need to do anything?" Mary had both faith in God's power and a willing spirit to follow Him. Going back to our cell phone illustration, this would be as if your response went something along the lines of "Cool. What service provider were you thinking of signing me up with? Can I help you out in getting my phone set up?"

We could take a lesson from Mary in our interactions with God, too. Next time your parents or teachers tell you about a project or situation, let your response be "Great! Tell me more. Is there anything I can do?"

And next time God tells you to do something....

...get to it :)