How to be a Young Christian in a Heartless World It was September 3, 2004. I had just taken my seat in the gym of my small Christian High School, before the preacher started ranting about the narrow way and the broad path (Matthew 7: 13-14 Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way, which leads to life, and there are few who find it). I sat there dumbfounded, knowing I had just smoked a cigarette that morning, cursed up a storm all day, and broke the school rules by texting my boyfriend in class. I was "a sinner" for sure?. So that day around noon, I said the prayer of salvation (Romans 10:19 That if you confess with your mouth "Jesus is Lord" and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved).

After saying the prayer, I felt a little different. There was no doubt that God had stirred up something in my heart, but where was I to go from there. Like many young Christians who find the Lord, maybe at summer camp, youth church, or even at school (wherever it may be), I was stuck there in my hope of having a changed life. I expected it to be easy, after all I had the Creator of All on my side. Again, like most other newly saved youth, I was back in my old ways in only a couple of days. Do not get me wrong. I tried and I tried hard to be a "good Christian". I stopped smoking cigarettes (or at least tried), I told my boyfriend our relationship had to change (he could not have that), and I tried to talk in the "Christian slang" (thank God, Amen, I?ll pray for you). It just seemed like nothing would work. No matter how hard I tried, I was failing to be the picture perfect Christian that all the other youngsters were, so I gave up. Sound familiar?

After giving up, I fought a long and hard battle with others and myself. Years later, I realized that my little bout with the Lord represented the seed sown onto the rocky soil. In the Word, Jesus gives a parable ( a short story with biblical meaning) to those around him. In Mark 4:3- 20, it reads, "Listen, A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, multiplying thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times.

? The farmer sows the word. Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop- thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times what was sown."

I did not understand what it meant to be a Christian, therefore; when the WORD of God was planted in my heart, like the rocky place, I lost it because I was not firmly planted in faith (I had no roots), which allowed the obstacles in life to shake me (trouble and tribulation). My story is representative of thousands of young people, who really want to be the person God has called them to be, but something always happens to stunt their spiritual growth.

The inability to grow as a Christian comes from our misunderstanding of Jesus and the life we are to live after receiving the Holy Spirit. Unlike popular belief, the Christian life is very simple. Jesus was a simple man. He never worried. He had everything under control, and He was just really chill about everything. Since as Christians (literal meaning: little Christ) our goal in life should be to live as Christ lived, we must understand that Jesus was not calm, relaxed, and powerful because He was perfect. He was a simple man, because He trusted God. He bore the fruit of the Spirit ( the evidence of having the Holy Spirit within Him. Galatians 5:22 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.) You see, Jesus was not a man who walked around acting perfect, He just accepted where He stood with God and did what was asked of Him. Therefore, I would like you to know that being a Christian is not about trying to be perfect. You will mess up. You will fall down. But through every obstacle, stand firm and planted in the fact that God loves you anyways (Titus 3:4-6 "But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously though Jesus Christ our Savior). I challenge you to not give up when things get hard. I challenge you to read the Word of God (not worship it) to learn who God is. Again, I challenge you to live what you believe as evidence of having the Holy Spirit within you.

If you are not saved, and you really feel as though you want to live with the peace of having a relationship with Jesus Christ, I will tell you now that it wont be easy. But every battle you fight, every obstacle you overcome, and every spiritual growing pain you live through, will make you life that much more fulfilling. A relationship with Christ will give you more peace than you could ever imagine. You must remember also that the life with Christ is not a sprint its a marathon. It is not fire insurance or a get out of hell free card. It is a lifestyle. Also, it does not matter how you start out in life, what matters is how you finish. Therefore, if this is what you want and you are willing to let God meet you where you are at, I encourage you to pray to the Lord in whatever manner you feel comfortable. Ask for forgiveness, help, and admit to him that you believe that Jesus died and was resurrected as the ransom for your life. God will take it from there!

God Bless

Paige Vidrine