A Life As a Teenager (The Foundation)
If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do? (Psalms 11:3).
'If the foundations be destroyed, what can a "teenager" do?' The foundation is important in everything we intend to do in life.
Before a house can stand firm - to prevent it from collapsing when it's stormy - there has to be a foundation.
If you desire to become someone great in future, you need to lay a foundation for it.
A foundation is a base on which something is built; just like an adage that says 'as you lay your bed so you lie on it.
' The future you fail to prepare for would not come; it is what you put in that comes out.
If you don't invest in your foundation now, what gives you the feeling that things would work out for good in the future? There are many people wandering about without direction, as a result of faulty foundation which they failed to consider while they were younger.
While we were kids, teachers usually ask 'what would you like to become in future?' The whole class usually gives good responses.
But a good question to ask is, 'is there a good foundation set towards achieving those dreams?' God's thought for our lives are thought of good and not of evil, to bring us to an expected end.
But there are teens out there that are already destroying the future as a result of a faulty foundation.
'If the foundations be destroyed, what can you do?' is a question I would like you to answer.
But before we give that answer, let me show you some essential fundamentals of a good foundation that should be taken into consideration: - Decision Making; - Friends; - Educational Background; - Parents; and - Relationship with God.
These fundamentals and their effect on the foundation would be considered and discussed.
DECISION MAKING As a teenager, the decisions you make today would determine how your tomorrow would be.
We all have dreams of becoming great in life, taking up vocations in accountancy, engineering, medicine, etc.
If that is a decision you have made, then you have to lay a good foundation for achieving.
This can be done by putting your best resources into that dream.
Some of my colleagues - who graduated from high school the same year I did - are not doing very poorly today; some of them are faltering in their studies, business, career or even in their personal life.
I believe they never wanted that to happen, but it may be as a result of the wrong decisions they made back then.
The truth is where you are today is as a result of some decisions you made weeks, months, or years ago, where you will be in days or years to come will be determined by the decision you make today.
That's why it is very important to seek God's face before making on any decision.
You may also meet your parents or trusted elders for counsel because God has placed them there for you as authority figures.
Your decisions today are stepping stones for your tomorrow.
Whatever we desire to become in life will be as a result of the decision(s) we have made.
When you don't make the right decision that is in line with your dream at an early stage, you will start having difficulty and, not until you retrace your steps, you might be heading to a wrong direction.
Every decision you make is a foundation and a stepping stone to what you would become tomorrow.
God is not mocked, for what you sow is what you reap, and if you don't like the harvest you are reaping then check the seed you are sowing.
GOOD PARENTING For every teenager to have a good foundation, the need for good parenting is very important.
Parents are given to us by God.
Parents are very vital to us; they contribute greatly to our success in life.
It is very important for every parent to give their children a proper upbringing.
God has placed them over us to watch and guide us through life and help us in achieving what He has ordained.
They play a vital role in your life and help you build a solid foundation.
It is the wish of every parent to see their children successful in life.
Why else do you think they are investing so much on you? They have faith in you becoming someone great in future and to take care of them when they are old.
Parents try to give their children the best of education because they believe that is the starting point of their foundation, it would be painful to the parents if their child ends up unfulfilled after all their investment.
The fact that you come from a poor home does not give you the license to be irresponsible or ill-mannered.
There are homes where the parents are not wealthy, yet the children are so well-behaved.
When you have an urge for greatness, circumstances would not be a hindrance.
Good parenting is an essential fundamental that should always be considered in building a solid foundation.
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND This is another vital aspect to consider in having a brighter future.
It is very important for every teenager out there to be educated so as to meet the demands of our present society.
In the preceding heading (Good Parenting), we discussed on how our parents contribute greatly to our foundation; this is also part of the commitment they have.
Parents give us good education as a step to help us achieve our dreams in life.
What your parents can do for you is to provide the needed resource that you would need but they can't study for you; you have to do that on your own.
That is where the commitment lies.
How dedicated you are to your studies? FRIENDS The people we call our friends matters a lot in our lives.
Are they there to be an "ASSET" or a "LIABILITY"? If it is an asset then hold them closely, if otherwise don't hesitate to let go.
Teenagers are very impressionable; anything they get from their peers could stick to them for long and help form the basis for their life.
And if teenagers not properly educated from home or the church, they would take every word from their peers hook, line and sinker.
Whatever message is passed on to them from friends would affect their foundation, making them perceive things from that perspective.
For instance; a young man that has male friends that keep telling him that, 'you are not a man until you make love to a girl', may lay hold of such messages and this may form his thinking about manhood and girls.
There are friends, who are there to support you in achieving your dreams and help you in developing a good self-esteem.
Those are the people you need, people who are there to lift you up when life brings you down.
It is very important we select the friends we spend of our time with.
Even the Bible reads that "he who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed" Proverb 13:20 (NKJV).
Another translation puts it this way: "Become wise by walking with the wise; hangout with fools and watch your life fall to pieces" (The Message).
HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD When you have good relationship with the Father, there won't be any need to worry about the future because you know it is in His hands.
Of all the points discussed above, this is the most vital.
Having a relationship with God helps you find the hidden treasure inside of you.
The only way to find a hidden treasure is to find the person who buried it or find the map that has the direction to the location.
And if you think about the map, the only person that could have drawn the map is the very same person that buried the treasure.
That person is God Himself, and not until you develop a connection with Him at this age, would you able to locate the hidden treasure within you.
Luke 6:48 reads: "He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid a foundation in a rock; and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon the house, and could not shake it; for it was founded upon a rock" This is how we will become if our foundation is founded on the rock (Jesus Christ).
Even when storm - Peer Pressure, Anger, Disobedience, Malice, etc.
comes, it won't shake you.
Why? Because your foundation is built upon a rock, which is Jesus.
Joseph, in the bible, was enticed to commit adultery; but he refused and ran away because he had a relationship with God.
How do I repair a broken foundation? Have a relationship with God - He knows your end from the present.
If you still have that old man (sin) in you then repent from those things and ask for forgiveness and turn a new leaf.
Like I said earlier, there is a hidden treasure within you waiting for the day of its manifestation, it is only God that can help you locate it and it can only be done when you have accepted Him.
He has the power to repair our lives.
Psalms 34:17 reads "He is near unto them that are of a broken heart...
" He has great plans for us, to bring us to an expected end.
Choose carefully - Every decision you make today can either make or mar you.
Before you choose to go or not to go, to do or not to do, be sure you have done your homework very well.
Because the choice(s) you make today will determine how your tomorrow will be and that will affect you profoundly.
Carry God along.
Seek His face on everything you do because we humans have limitations.
Let your choice be in line with God's purpose for your life.
It is not too late to turn a new leaf; it all depends on your willingness for that change, because anytime you are ready for it, the room of change is always empty to accept you in.
it is your choice today that would frame you into your tomorrow.
'If the foundations be destroyed, what can a "teenager" do?' The foundation is important in everything we intend to do in life.
Before a house can stand firm - to prevent it from collapsing when it's stormy - there has to be a foundation.
If you desire to become someone great in future, you need to lay a foundation for it.
A foundation is a base on which something is built; just like an adage that says 'as you lay your bed so you lie on it.
' The future you fail to prepare for would not come; it is what you put in that comes out.
If you don't invest in your foundation now, what gives you the feeling that things would work out for good in the future? There are many people wandering about without direction, as a result of faulty foundation which they failed to consider while they were younger.
While we were kids, teachers usually ask 'what would you like to become in future?' The whole class usually gives good responses.
But a good question to ask is, 'is there a good foundation set towards achieving those dreams?' God's thought for our lives are thought of good and not of evil, to bring us to an expected end.
But there are teens out there that are already destroying the future as a result of a faulty foundation.
'If the foundations be destroyed, what can you do?' is a question I would like you to answer.
But before we give that answer, let me show you some essential fundamentals of a good foundation that should be taken into consideration: - Decision Making; - Friends; - Educational Background; - Parents; and - Relationship with God.
These fundamentals and their effect on the foundation would be considered and discussed.
DECISION MAKING As a teenager, the decisions you make today would determine how your tomorrow would be.
We all have dreams of becoming great in life, taking up vocations in accountancy, engineering, medicine, etc.
If that is a decision you have made, then you have to lay a good foundation for achieving.
This can be done by putting your best resources into that dream.
Some of my colleagues - who graduated from high school the same year I did - are not doing very poorly today; some of them are faltering in their studies, business, career or even in their personal life.
I believe they never wanted that to happen, but it may be as a result of the wrong decisions they made back then.
The truth is where you are today is as a result of some decisions you made weeks, months, or years ago, where you will be in days or years to come will be determined by the decision you make today.
That's why it is very important to seek God's face before making on any decision.
You may also meet your parents or trusted elders for counsel because God has placed them there for you as authority figures.
Your decisions today are stepping stones for your tomorrow.
Whatever we desire to become in life will be as a result of the decision(s) we have made.
When you don't make the right decision that is in line with your dream at an early stage, you will start having difficulty and, not until you retrace your steps, you might be heading to a wrong direction.
Every decision you make is a foundation and a stepping stone to what you would become tomorrow.
God is not mocked, for what you sow is what you reap, and if you don't like the harvest you are reaping then check the seed you are sowing.
GOOD PARENTING For every teenager to have a good foundation, the need for good parenting is very important.
Parents are given to us by God.
Parents are very vital to us; they contribute greatly to our success in life.
It is very important for every parent to give their children a proper upbringing.
God has placed them over us to watch and guide us through life and help us in achieving what He has ordained.
They play a vital role in your life and help you build a solid foundation.
It is the wish of every parent to see their children successful in life.
Why else do you think they are investing so much on you? They have faith in you becoming someone great in future and to take care of them when they are old.
Parents try to give their children the best of education because they believe that is the starting point of their foundation, it would be painful to the parents if their child ends up unfulfilled after all their investment.
The fact that you come from a poor home does not give you the license to be irresponsible or ill-mannered.
There are homes where the parents are not wealthy, yet the children are so well-behaved.
When you have an urge for greatness, circumstances would not be a hindrance.
Good parenting is an essential fundamental that should always be considered in building a solid foundation.
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND This is another vital aspect to consider in having a brighter future.
It is very important for every teenager out there to be educated so as to meet the demands of our present society.
In the preceding heading (Good Parenting), we discussed on how our parents contribute greatly to our foundation; this is also part of the commitment they have.
Parents give us good education as a step to help us achieve our dreams in life.
What your parents can do for you is to provide the needed resource that you would need but they can't study for you; you have to do that on your own.
That is where the commitment lies.
How dedicated you are to your studies? FRIENDS The people we call our friends matters a lot in our lives.
Are they there to be an "ASSET" or a "LIABILITY"? If it is an asset then hold them closely, if otherwise don't hesitate to let go.
Teenagers are very impressionable; anything they get from their peers could stick to them for long and help form the basis for their life.
And if teenagers not properly educated from home or the church, they would take every word from their peers hook, line and sinker.
Whatever message is passed on to them from friends would affect their foundation, making them perceive things from that perspective.
For instance; a young man that has male friends that keep telling him that, 'you are not a man until you make love to a girl', may lay hold of such messages and this may form his thinking about manhood and girls.
There are friends, who are there to support you in achieving your dreams and help you in developing a good self-esteem.
Those are the people you need, people who are there to lift you up when life brings you down.
It is very important we select the friends we spend of our time with.
Even the Bible reads that "he who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed" Proverb 13:20 (NKJV).
Another translation puts it this way: "Become wise by walking with the wise; hangout with fools and watch your life fall to pieces" (The Message).
HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD When you have good relationship with the Father, there won't be any need to worry about the future because you know it is in His hands.
Of all the points discussed above, this is the most vital.
Having a relationship with God helps you find the hidden treasure inside of you.
The only way to find a hidden treasure is to find the person who buried it or find the map that has the direction to the location.
And if you think about the map, the only person that could have drawn the map is the very same person that buried the treasure.
That person is God Himself, and not until you develop a connection with Him at this age, would you able to locate the hidden treasure within you.
Luke 6:48 reads: "He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid a foundation in a rock; and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon the house, and could not shake it; for it was founded upon a rock" This is how we will become if our foundation is founded on the rock (Jesus Christ).
Even when storm - Peer Pressure, Anger, Disobedience, Malice, etc.
comes, it won't shake you.
Why? Because your foundation is built upon a rock, which is Jesus.
Joseph, in the bible, was enticed to commit adultery; but he refused and ran away because he had a relationship with God.
How do I repair a broken foundation? Have a relationship with God - He knows your end from the present.
If you still have that old man (sin) in you then repent from those things and ask for forgiveness and turn a new leaf.
Like I said earlier, there is a hidden treasure within you waiting for the day of its manifestation, it is only God that can help you locate it and it can only be done when you have accepted Him.
He has the power to repair our lives.
Psalms 34:17 reads "He is near unto them that are of a broken heart...
" He has great plans for us, to bring us to an expected end.
Choose carefully - Every decision you make today can either make or mar you.
Before you choose to go or not to go, to do or not to do, be sure you have done your homework very well.
Because the choice(s) you make today will determine how your tomorrow will be and that will affect you profoundly.
Carry God along.
Seek His face on everything you do because we humans have limitations.
Let your choice be in line with God's purpose for your life.
It is not too late to turn a new leaf; it all depends on your willingness for that change, because anytime you are ready for it, the room of change is always empty to accept you in.
it is your choice today that would frame you into your tomorrow.
