100 Ways: Be Thankful, Be Selfless, Be Social

So far, we have eight things on our list of ways to live for God. These include concrete actions such as reading your Bible, memorizing Scripture, and dressing modestly, as well as things that are more abstract, such as committing your life to the Lord and not thinking about yourself as "just a teenager".

Today I'm adding to the list with three more: thankfulness, selflessness, and fellowship in church.

The Full List So Far

1. Read your Bible every day.
2. Put a reminder that teens can do great things, like 1 Timothy 4:12, on a sticky note and post it somewhere you see every day.
3. Whenever you get dressed in the morning, ask yourself if you would want to go out to lunch with Jesus in what you are wearing.
4. Memorize Scripture regularly.
5. Make prayer your automatic response to a difficult situation.
6. Commit or recommit your life to God and trust His perfect plan.
7. Commit your work to the Lord and then do it in a way that would make him proud.
8. Speak out as a witness to others.

9. Focus on thankfulness and avoid complaining.
Psalm 100:4 says: "Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise! Give thanks to Him; bless His name!"

God loves joy and thankfulness. Notice that there is nothing in that verse about complaining about things or being sad. It is all joy.

A good way to refocus your life on God and grow in your faith is to focus on giving thanks in all things. Try keeping a journal of things you are thankful for, like we did in the Thanksgiving Challenge in November. Avoid complaining, even when it's what everyone else is doing, and try to find the positive instead.

10. Be selfless; think of others before yourself.
Showing love to others is one of the most important callings that we have in Christ. God loves us with an everlasting love; it's up to us to show this love to others.

Think of others before yourself: do helpful things, show kindness and patience to those around you, and follow the words of 1 Corinthians 13:

"Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."

11. Go to church and participate in church events.
It might seem like church isn't a necessary thing to do; maybe you feel that it's sort of an optional thing for Christians who want to look really pious and righteous. But going to church is one of the most important things you can do for your faith!

In our everyday life, we are surrounded by people who don't believe the things that we do. That can have an influence on the way you live your life. So go to church and interact with others who hold the same beliefs and standards of living. The fellowship with other believers will strengthen your faith and leave you encouraged and refreshed.

What do you think? Are you using any of the tips on the list so far to live for God in new ways? Do you like today's additions? How is this series impacting your life? Tell me in the comments!

P.S. You can find the rest of this series here if you missed it.