Thursday, June 18, 2015

100 Ways to Start Living Your Faith

Here it is...the post that has been in the works since January...100 (relatively) simple things we can start doing in our lives to further live for God.

Enjoy!


Knowing God

1.       Read your Bible every day. Study it, talk about, and ask God to help it come alive.

2.       Memorize Scripture regularly.

3.       Pray without ceasing, in good circumstances and bad.

4.       Pray for the little things too.

5.       But also pray for really big things—your prayers have the power to change the world.

6.       Confess your specific sins to God regularly.

7.       Include praise and thanksgiving in your prayers.

8.       Go to church and participate in church events. It’s okay to miss sports events if they conflict with church!

9.       Use your Sabbath to rest, fix your mind on God, and minister to others. Slow the day down!

10.   Allow worship to be your consistent mindset every day.

11.   Start a journal and record daily events, thoughts, prayers, and ways God has worked in your life.

12.   Sing praise songs and hymns out loud whenever you get the chance.

13.   Use the communion (or Lord’s Supper) time in church to confess your sin, repent, and remember the good news that you are forgiven.
Having a Vision
 
1.       Put a reminder that teens can do great things (like 1 Timothy 4:12) somewhere where you’ll see it every day.

2.       Make goals based on your gifts and where you believe God is leading you. Then plan how you will achieve them, with God’s help.

3.       Stay motivated by envisioning the end product of all of your work.

4.       If you catch yourself worrying about your life, stop, thank God for something, and try to refocus your trust on Him.

5.       Pray for your future husband or wife.

6.       Start “doing good” to your future spouse now—how will this change the choices you make in relationships?
Personal Care and Image
  
1.       Try to stop comparing yourself to others.

2.       Know your modesty standards BEFORE you are faced with a difficult situation.

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.       If you wear makeup, keep it light, tasteful, and natural.

5.       If you find yourself getting too attached to makeup, take a week off to remind yourself that it isn’t necessary.

6.       See your body as your temple; give it the nourishment it needs to do good work for God.

7.       Get enough sleep; God designed our bodies to rest!
Honoring God in Daily Life

1.       “Wherever you are, be there 100%.” –Jim Elliott

2.       Be cheerful about the work that you have to do.

3.       Focus on thankfulness and avoid complaining.

4.       Don’t let “I’m so busy” get in the way of doing things that God calls you to.

5.       Use your time wisely. Don’t procrastinate.

6.       Do your work diligently, neatly, and thoroughly.

7.       Don’t waste your weekend or your summer.

8.       Act the same no matter who you are with.

9.       When your day gets stressful and you start to believe lies of the Enemy, do something to let out your tension. (Throw flour around with your siblings. Really! Take a walk. Call a friend. Work in the garden. Sing. Dance. Draw. Think of something!)

10.   Guard your thoughts. You can control what you think about—don’t give the Enemy a chance!
Interacting with Others

1.       Seek out fellow believers to be friends with.

2.       Befriend the people who need a friend, the ones who are alone or unpopular.

3.       Be yourself around non-Christians. Don’t try to hide your faith.

4.       Don’t let others convince you to do things that you know are wrong.

5.       Don’t be afraid to share the gospel with those around you, but remember that God is the only one who changes hearts.

6.       When you share your testimony, do it to bring glory to God, not yourself.

7.       Do your best to remember peoples’ names and greet them with a smile.

8.       When you think a kind thought about someone, say it out loud.

9.       When you hear something nice about someone not in the room, pass it on to them.

10.   Show genuine interest in other people and what they are doing.

11.   Say thank you to others who do things for you, especially the ones who aren’t often appreciated.

12.   Don’t blame others for things that you do wrong.

13.   Be kind and seek to repay evil with good; often kindness is a better witness than outright sharing the gospel with someone!

14.   If you say you are going to do something, big or small, do it!

15.   Don’t grumble or complain about things that your church does or doesn’t do.

16.   Be willing to forgive others.

17.   Pray with and for others.
Using Words
1.       Stop and think before you talk.

2.       Always tell the truth.

3.       Don’t talk just for the sake of talking; make sure you actually have something to say.

4.       Keep your volume level respectful when you talk.

5.       Don’t curse or use crude language.

6.       Always show respect and courtesy when you talk to others.

7.       Change the subject if your friends start sharing gossip with you.

8.       If you think of something critical to say, stop and say something positive instead.

9.       Remember HALT: avoid speaking if you are Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired.

10.   Avoid “venting”: it doesn’t help anything.
School
1.       Show your teachers respect, even if they aren’t Christians.

2.       Pray for your school: teachers, students, and staff.

3.       Strive to get the best grades you can without comparing to other students. 
Dating and Romantic Relationships
 
1.       Remember that you don’t need to date to be happy and fulfilled.

2.       Don’t be afraid to interact with the opposite gender.

3.       On the other hand, don’t flirt or do things to draw extra attention to yourself.  

4.       Honor the wishes of your parents when it comes to dating.

5.       Don’t allow crushes to turn into obsessions.

6.       Don’t be afraid to date if the time is right and you are serious about pursuing marriage with someone.

7.       When you date, only date another Christian.

8.       When you date, take it seriously. The purpose of dating is not “just for fun”; it is to see if two people are compatible for marriage. (Although this doesn’t mean that you can’t have fun!)

9.       If you are single, embrace it. Make the most of your life. Don’t wait for “your life to begin” when you find a partner.  
Serving Family

1.       Do chores around the house.

2.       Spend time with your siblings and try to be a good role model. Be friends with them!

3.       Honor your parents and submit to their authority.  

4.       Write an encouraging note to your parents sometimes to remind them how much you appreciate them.

5.       Devote some regular time to pray specifically for your family.   
 Serving Others

1.       Give a little money in the offering plate on Sundays.

2.       Clean out your stuff regularly and donate things you don’t want to a charity.

3.       Volunteer with a local charity or at your church.

4.       Babysit for free for someone who needs it.

5.       Write handwritten encouraging letters to others, telling them that you’re praying for them and sharing Scripture to get them through a hard time. 

6.       Allow others to serve you if they offer.

7.       Be a mentor to a younger person in your life. 
Interacting with Media

1.       Decide on your standards for books, movies, and music and stick to them.

2.       Don’t use your phone when people are trying to talk to you.

3.       Use the Internet for a purpose—don’t just browse mindlessly.

4.       When using the internet, set a timer for the amount of time you want to spend and then stop when it goes off.

5.       If you have an iPhone or smartphone, get rid of distracting apps and settings.

6.       Take a social media “fast” for a few weeks once in a while.

7.       Make use of online review sites or word of mouth from friends to check content before you read or watch something.

8.       Read solid Christian books that encourage you in your faith.

9.       Pursue face-to-face relationships more than those over text or social media.

10.   Don’t be a completely different person online. Keep your image the same.

And Finally...
 
#100: Remember, the grace of God covers all sins. As you strive to live your life for Him, don’t get caught up in a legalistic checklist of rules to follow. Rest in His grace and love for you.
 
 
What do you think?
  • Do you like this list and find it helpful?
  • Are there things you could add? (I'm sure there are.)
  • What are some areas you need to work on?
Tell me in a comment! 

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