A while back we
had an awesome chat time on Instagram. The question was, “If you could give one
piece of advice to a twelve-year-old girl as she is entering her teen years,
what would you say?”
About Self-Worth, Beauty, Insecurity
“Your self-worth
isn’t a thermometer, it doesn’t go up and down based on your accomplishments or
the approval of others. Truly know that your worth is in Christ because you are
His perfect creation. Don’t fret; He has a perfect plan for you.”
“Don’t waste your
time on drama and trying to please everyone.”
“God made you just
the way you need to be.”
About Boys
“When crushes
develop, don’t chase after the guy. When girls chase boys, they don’t get what
they want. Instead, the guy needs to be the initiator and the girl is the
responder. Don’t rush into a relationship. Wait on God’s timing and wait until
you’re old enough.”
About God
“Put your focus
entirely on the Lord. Strive to serve Him in every area of your life. Don’t
look to clothes, boys, friends, etc. for your happiness. Jesus is the only
thing that will bring you true lasting joy!”
“Keep God in mind
throughout your day 24/7. Talk to Him like He’s your best friend, because He
is! Read your Bible every day, morning and night. It’s better to read a little
bit and make sure you fully understand it than to read a lot but not understand anything. Whatever trials you go through—persecution, friendships, boys,
culture, body image, self-esteem, everything—understand that none of it
matters. Live with an eternal perspective and live for the Lord.”
About Authority
“At this point in
your life, I know it’s a struggle to relate to your mom, or any authority, but
if you use these years right and submit to their authority in the future you’re
going to have a deeper relationship with that person. The knowledge they have
can be critical to helping you use these preteen years for their optimal
benefit. Besides your relationship with God, the most important relationship
right now is the relationship you have with your mom. She is the biggest tool
to help you conquer the teen years ahead.”
About Habits/Routine
“Live each day
like there’s no tomorrow. Don’t waste your time wishing you were older. You’ll
be there soon enough! Live with abandon!”
“Live like Jesus
loves you!”
“Develop habits of
self-discipline. Learn to walk by the Spirit and not gratify the desires of the
flesh (Galatians 5:16). This can be applied to even getting up in the morning.Time management and discipline are surprisingly crucial to my walk with Christ
because if my time management is poor or my self-discipline is poor, then what
suffers is my time with the Lord.”
What advice would you give to a preteen? What was the most helpful thing you heard as a preteen? What was your favorite piece of advice in this post? Share in the comments!
This is the best lesson I have learned while growing up: Being mature doesn't mean everything works out for you, it means handling what does happen to you in a godly manner.
ReplyDeleteI agree! It doesn't matter what happens to you in life--it matters how you handle things.
DeleteThanks for reading and commenting, Anonymous! :)
I love all of these responses! I believe this applies as advice not only to preteens, but to teens as well. It would have been nice to hear these encouraging words before I reached young adulthood. Thank you so much for sharing! ❤️
ReplyDeleteDefinitely! This advice is applicable to all walks of life. I, too, wish I had heard much of this before entering my teen years. There's a lot of confusing signals and messages in today's culture. I appreciate the wisdom of these young women!
DeleteThanks so much for reading and commenting. :)