Alcohol, Drugs, Band-aids and Trust.

Ok, so guess what?! I finished reading my Bible. I went all the way through and it took me about two years. I finished on December 13, a Saturday. I didnt really know what to do after that, but my mom suggested writing. I love to write so I thought of some things that I learned reading through my bible and what would be beneficial to you as a reader.

There are so many of you who are Christians, yet have forgotten your committment to the LORD. You see, becoming a Christian is more than putting on a sign that labels you a religious person. To be a Christian means to follow Christ. To follow Christ means to go where He goes, to do what He does and go behind Him and let Him lead you to your destination. Not only getting directions, but going with Him until you reach the end.

I dont know why you are straying from Christ exactly. Maybe the pressure in high school is too much, or home life is unbearable, or you and your friends or boyfriend/girlfriend are going through a rough patch. Whatever it is, going out to forget about them by shoving them down, and going out to drink, smoke or even cuss shows that you do not trust God to fix your problems. So, you put down the Bible and begin to pick up the worldly magazines ( you know the ones: scandals, affairs, gossip-round-the-clock, and the ones telling you how to be loved by someone by using looks, scents or actions). All those do is cover up whatever you're going through that is painful. They are just band-aids. They don't fix the pain. They only hide it.

I have got a secret...................
Life Hurts.................................God Heals.
God is not like alcohol. God is not like drugs. God is not like a band-aid.
Instead,
God cares. God nurtures. God heals.

• Alcohol makes you feel better temporarily until you wake up in the morning, sick as a dog, and your head explodes with every throb. Alcohol gets you by for a night.
• Drugs give you a good feeling about life as though you were carefree. Later, you gain stained teeth, nails and possibly lung cancer. You age and look older than you really are and sound raspy as though you have been screaming for two years straight.
• Band-aids keep out dirt and cover up you imperfections. Until you hop in the shower and it loses its stickiness. They have absolutely no healing power. It only covers.

I'm here to tell you that God is different. He is not alcohol, drugs or band-aids. He is not a cover up for your pain. God is the only one who loves and cares about you enough to heal you. Alcohol is a temporary escape, like drugs. Band-aids are temporary cover ups. They dont love you the way God does. In fact, they do not love you at all. They have no feelings. They are to do their job and nothing more. Neither of these can talk to you and comfort you after a hard day. They are false. But the LORD is the ONLY TRUE ONE. There is no one/thing like Him. Hallelujah!! God cares for you. He cares about your pain and wants to fix it, but you have to open up and give your problems to Jesus. (Plus, He wants them out of your hands and into His.) Why though, would God want our problems? He's got bigger things to handle, right? NO WAY. He loves us and knows we have pain and wants to take it from us. He desires for us to be free. So, give Him your troubles and He will throw them to the bottom of the sea.