Brad's Choice
Read:
Proverbs 4:23-27; 1 Peter 3:13-17
Memorize:
Always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you. 1 Peter 3:15
How about you?
Can you think of things-wrong things, that is-that your friends or classmates might ask you to do? What will you say if that happens? Even before temptation comes, plan ahead what to say if you're encouraged to lie, disobey, cheat, or do other things you know are wrong. Practice saying no to them. Choose to obey God, and ask Him to give you courage to stick to that choice.
"Look, Brad. See what my brother gave me?" Tyler asked as he pulled a magazine from under his mattress.
It didn't take Brad long to figure out that they shouldn't look at it. He didn't know what to say. Looking away quickly, he struggled to think of something that wouldn't make him look like a loser. "Uh . . . I don't think my dad would like it if I looked at that," Brad murmured weakly.
"Aw-w-w, come on," Tyler coaxed. "He won't find out. You're not going to tell him, are you?" But just then, Tyler heard his mother coming up the stairs, so he quickly hid the magazine under his mattress.
"Brad's mom just called," Tyler's mom said. "It's time for him to go home."
On his way home, Brad thought about Tyler's magazine. What if he wants me to look at one of those some other time? wondered Brad. I don't want to, but he'll want to know why, and I don't know what to say. He'll just think I'm a baby.
Late that afternoon, Brad and his father stood on the front porch and watched a bulldozer gouge out chunks of pavement from the street in front of their house. "They're sure making a mess," observed Brad.
Dad smiled. "Yes, but when they're finished, we'll have a better street," he said. "It'll be nice to have all the potholes gone."
"Yeah," said Brad. "You had to be real careful and drive around them, didn't you?"
"I did," said Dad. "I'm glad they're finally fixing them." They watched the workers for a few minutes. Then Dad spoke again. "The people in charge had to do a lot of planning before this street project began. They had to consider the cost and whether it would be worth the time and money and the mess." He turned to look at Brad. "We can learn from them. We should plan things carefully, too."
That's it! thought Brad, remembering Tyler's magazine. I need to plan what I'm going to say so I'm ready next time.
That night Brad wrote a prayer in the back of his Bible: "Lord, when friends tempt me to do wrong, give me courage to say, 'No, I want God to approve of the things I do.' And please . . . help me dare to just walk away."
Plan ahead how to answer