"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."  Romans 12:2

Some of you may remember a song that Steven Curtis Chapman wrote many years ago called "Live the Life."   It was an upbeat song that was a painful reminder that we need to live in such a way that non-Christians would take notice of us.  May I ask you a question?  How does your Christian life look to others?  And when I say this I don't just mean your Christian friends, but especially those teen friends have not accepted Jesus as their Savior.

Christians are to be "in the world, but not of it" as 1 John 2:15 tells us "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him."  This verse helps us to truly see that God means business when He tells us to live a pure and righteous Christian life, being separated from the lusts and temptations out there in the world.  It also is a test that is a good indicator of our true relationship with Christ.

Consider this: if you just behave like all the other teens out there, what's different about you?  Do you look appealing to other teens?  If this is a lifestyle that you may have adopted, perhaps it is time to take a long look in the mirror and see who it really is in there looking back.  When you accepted Christ into your hearts, the Holy Spirit came along for the ride.  The Holy Spirit is the helper indwelling in all of us that keeps us on the right path.  The Holy Spirit is sort of a "GPS" navigation system for us, similar to those in many automobiles.  He provides us direction to keep our Christian life going toward the right destination: eternal life.

If you find yourself stepping off the path with other teens, or worse, on the wrong one all together, it is time to get some help from the Holy Spirit to redirect you onto the right path again.  My encouragement for you today is this: don't be a slacker Christian.  Live in a way that clearly shows the world at large, who your heart truly belongs to and how important that is for your life.  It might make an eternal difference for just one of your friends.