Need Encouragement?

I Couldn't Bring Myself To Post This On The Teen Forum
Hey...

So I'm Bella. I'm 16 and I've been a part of DAB for about three years now. I realize that a lot of you may not know me due to the fact that I haven't posted for about a year.

Being a teenager is awesome, don't get me wrong. I love going to school and being with my friends everyday, having sleepovers on the weekends, going to a local youth church... but as much as I pray and love and do my best to serve I still have one huge weakness.

BOYS

As soon as a really cute guy at school starts to take notice of me I'm soooo tempted to just throw everything out the window when we talk, text and IM. The biggest reason for this is probably my lack of self esteem. Scratch that... it IS my lack of self esteem. I'm 5'9 and 180 lbs. By no means am I built for anything I love in the fashion magazines. I know everyone always tries to build me up but to be honest I don't feel like I'm worth it. Maybe it's because my father was abusive or maybe it's just the way I look at myself. But that split second of attention from a guy makes me go over the edge. I won't go to school with out my hair done and make up on, I'll change my clothes five times just to find something that doesn't make me look pudgy, and make him think that I'll put out for him when in reality I wear a purity ring and will have nothing to do with anything below the waste until I'm good and married. The past week this has been going on and even though I pray that He'll give me to strength to reject all these thoughts and actions. I just don't know what to do anymore... life sometimes just seems a whole lot easier just living ignoring all the things God tells me to do but I know that I wouldn't be able to survive without Him... I'm just lost..
Bella Lewis 03/27/2011 20:30

Replies:
Jake Van Horn 03/28/2011 10:38
1 Corinthians 2:9 However, as it is written: "What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived"- the things God has prepared for those who love Him-

Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.

What God tells us and the limits He puts on us is for our own good. It is Because He loves us and wants the absolute very best for us, not to keep us from having fun. There is no temptation in the world that can compare to the good things that God has planned for those that love Him. We aren't missing out on anything by following the rules of God. It may seem easier now to just ignore God and live according to the world but this is a lie that the enemy has put on us. Every temptation comes along with associated consequences, none of which are any fun. I'm praying for you Bella. I promise you that you will never, ever regret following Gods plan for your life. There are only good things in that.
GodB4Me 03/28/2011 11:27
Bella, you are BEAUUUUUUUUTIFUL..... do you listen to the song by Mercyme, I mean really listen to it please it has so much to say to a young lady as you,
lisa
your friend in Christ
Bella Lewis 03/28/2011 18:21
Thanks to the both of you. I guess my real problem is that I can't find any reason to be good enough for anything... of this world or not.
Leslie 03/28/2011 19:06
Bella, You are God's beautiful princess, He made you...so You are worthy of so much more than you can imagine....do you have a good youth leader or a mentor you can get with and maybe go through God's word together...God loves You...this is a very difficult season Bella, probably one of the hardest times to be a woman...

Praying you find another woman that can walk through this with you face to face...oh Bella..these guys are not where you go for your worth...You go to Jesus for your worth...He is the One that will protect Your heart. Stay close to Him...

So let's start here...this song is so wonderful...we all do this Bella, you are not alone...even as we go through the stages of becoming the woman God wants us to be..we all search for our worth in everything BUT Jesus it would seem, so then we get broken hearts....a pit in our stomach and we feel so isolated and unworthy...Yes Bella... I. get. it. Been there. done that. Post in the woman's forums..we can safely talk about it all there...we love you, you are beautiful..and its amazing that you have been in God's word for 3 years straight!! God is going to use you to lead other woman to Him...I know it...We can't see around the bend Bella but we can see His glory in your life already...xoxo...come to the woman's forums..talk to us...we are here for you...pray for you..don't you dare give in girl!! You are more than the choices that you make....You are have been remade!!!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwtcwQwgdsA

Bella Lewis 03/28/2011 19:24
Thank you Leslie, that really does mean a lot.

Yes, I do have a youth leader that I can talk to but sometimes I feel as though she needs to grow herself and that I'm bothering her with all my little nitty, gritty worries...

Thank you sooo much for the song, it's wonderful. I'll be moving to the womans forum :)
Leslie 03/28/2011 19:30
Nice... :)
Ray 04/02/2011 07:28
It struck me the other day that my tendency to do the same as you describe, Bella, is MY idol worship. I don't say that to be discouraging like the wrath of God is on you because you worship idols. No, we have a lover who is so absolutely committed to growing us up in Him that nothing can separate us from His far reaching love. No, I want to encourage you in that love affair which is beyond expression in it's glory. I just know that when I realized that this is what I was doing, worshiping an idol in my heart, it changed things. It was something about that word. I don't understand it exactly. Perhaps it is because the book has so much focus on it. I don't know. I think maybe it is partly the fact that it brought focus to what I really worship is myself. Seeing that more clearly is very helpful. It brings me back to the epic story I am a part of. Thanks again, Precious One!