Hi guys! My name is Meka, and I’m in year 10 (4th year) at high school. I’m pretty normal for a 14 year old girl to be honest, I play piano, love make-up and fashion and spend nearly every weekend with friends either shopping or lounging about watching movies and eating junk. But I have had a experience that hardly anybody else in school has had: I have committed my life to following Jesus and living for him. Since I have been through four years of high school as a Christian I thought I would give you some top survival tips 🙂
1. Don’t be ashamed!
Though it feels like it now, your faith is nothing to hide! What is so embarrassing about having a heavenly father who loves you, wants the best for you
and blesses you with amazing gifts everyday?! I decided that I wanted my church life to be a part of my everyday life, I wanted to blend the two together because they both equally make up who I am. I know it may seen like a really small step to those who aren’t really into social media but even putting that you’re a Christian into your Instagram bio, or putting a picture of church on your Snapchat story. These small things can make a huge difference and start up your Christian involvement in school.
2. Be prepared!
During teenage years kids tend to act older and tougher then they actually are. Act being the key word. Whether they admit it or not they are curious about your faith. Sometimes they ask questions and queries by mocking you and laughing, sometimes they are deadly serious, and then others hide it through embarrassing you. But whatever way they do approach you, you need to be prepared to answer. Think of 5 points you want to get across to them and do a mental checklist when the situation arises. For example, a couple of weeks ago I had a sleepover with two girls that I wasn’t very close with but I wanted to become closer too. At about 2 O’clock in the morning we were chatting and drinking hot chocolate when one of the girls turned to me and said “Meka, what’s going to happen to me when I die?” I honestly didn’t know what to say. This girl had had a really rough past with the father figure of her life and I was so desperate to tell her about a heavenly father that was always going to love her and never leave her alone but I was speechless and I wish I had had that mental note of what to say and how to say it. I missed a perfect opportunity to share God’s love because I wasn’t prepared.
3. Make good friends
Friends are so important through your high school experience. You need to find friends that you can one hundred percent be yourself with, and that includes opening up to them about your faith. I am part of a group of 5 girls who all know I believe in God and they fully respect that. It is hard because during that five years everyone else is trying to figure out who they are and what they believe in so sometimes it’s hard for them to take on what others believe in and be truly respectful of that – so give them time. If they constantly judge you, put you down or laugh at the fact your’e a Christian then ditch them. It says in 1 Corinthians 15:33, ‘bad company ruins good morals’. Don’t let ‘friends’ ruin your relationship with God and corrupt your personality – it’s not worth it, trust me.
These three things have really helped me when getting through high school and have encouraged and motivated me to become more open and real about my faith with my friends, teachers and peers. I really hope it can do the same to you! So you’re a Christian in high school? Its not as bad as it seems 🙂