The Best Life

Unlocked: Daily Devotions for Teens

READ: MARK 9:20-25; JOHN 6:25-35; PHILIPPIANS 1:6

Do you truly believe that Jesus’s way of life is the best way of life? I was raised in the church, and when I was presented with this question, my instinct was to say, “Of course!” Upon further examination, however, I began to realize that if I truly and wholeheartedly believed this, my life would look quite a bit different. If I fully believed Jesus’s way of life is the best, would I take out my anger on my family? Would I have trouble forgiving those who wrong me? And would I neglect listening to what God has for me?

When we put our trust in Jesus to save us from sin and death, believing He died for us and rose again, we can be sure that we belong to Him forever. As Christians, we grow to trust Jesus more and more, bringing every area of our lives into alignment with what He says is best. Yet, this is a lifelong process, one that will only be finished when Jesus returns. So, remembering to trust Jesus is a practice that needs to be done often. One prayer I pray on a weekly basis is, “Jesus, I choose to trust you. Jesus, I want to trust you. Jesus, help me trust you more.” Often, our trust is still pulled away from Jesus by the things of the world, and sometimes we hardly even want to trust Him. This is when the prayer looks like, “Jesus, I want to want to trust you.”

This is a beautiful heart posture, because we’re recognizing we can’t live life on our own, even though we still have a desire to try. And this vulnerability actually helps us trust Jesus more and more, every day. There will be times of struggle when we’re following Jesus, but continuing to turn to Him through the struggle is the best way to learn to trust Him more. In every situation, we can choose to believe that Jesus’s way of life is the best way of life. • Joshua Schmitz

• We all have times when it’s hard to believe that Jesus’s way of life is the best way of life. We’re often tempted to do what we think is best instead of relying on Him and following His good ways. In what areas of your life have you found it difficult to trust Jesus? Why?

• Jesus invites us to be honest with Him about all the reasons it’s hard for us to trust Him. He is eager to assure us of His love and goodness and help us grow in Him. He does this through His Spirit, His Word (the Bible), and His people (the church). Consider taking some time to be open with Jesus, and perhaps a few trusted Christians, about what you’re thinking and feeling.

• If you want to know more about what it means to trust Jesus to save you, see our “Know Jesus” page.

Then he [Jesus] said to them all, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me.” Luke 9:23 (CSB)