15 Things I Would Tell My 15 Year Old Self

1. You are going to come face to face with the pleasures of partying and hedonism. It will come very close to killing you and it won’t satisfy the deepest cravings of your heart. It’s a very seductive lie.
2. Relax! Don’t worry so much about what people think of you.
3. Plan now for what you are going to do when you are done with High School. It seems like a million years a way but it’s not.
4. Girls are good. But they are not the sole meaning and purpose of life.
5. Make sure that you are really drawing closer to Jesus rather than just going through the preacher kid motions.
6. Try your best to keep perspective. You will be strongly tempted to think that these teen years are all that matter. Which will lead to way too much drama and inner turmoil. Truth be told, your best days are ahead of you!
7. You and your family don’t have much money, its OK. Again, don’t worry so much about the car you drive or the clothes you wear.
8. Don’t drop out of High School (which I did). Study hard.
9. Take some chances (don’t worry about looking like an idiot) and try to make the basketball or football team.
10. You do have some good friends at church. Open up, tell them how much are struggling at school. Don’t deal with it all by yourself.
11. Don’t be so terrified of the cafeteria and the fact that you do not know anyone. Find one person to sit with and talk to. You can do this.
12. You are not as smart and wise as you think you are, talk to your mom and dad more.
13. The friend with the maroon Camaro is going to get you in trouble. Walk away.
14. You will grow up and love to read. Why aren’t you reading now? Read!
15. Those skin tight jeans are not nearly as cool as you think they are.

It’s crazy, as I started compiling this list I began to realize how much of a hold fear had on me during my teen years. Fear of man. Fear of fitting in. It’s probably why songs like (see below) still resonate with me. Confidence in who I am and how God has made me would be one thing I would want to change about my 15 year old self.

What would your list look like?