You’re young, you’re a Christian, and you want to do your best to live life in harmony with God. Firstly, because we are called to live like Him, and secondly, because we are called to be a light to others. But how? How do you do that in today’s world, where going to church on Sunday and listening to Christian music is everything except “cool?”

Looking back, King David was best known as “a man after God’s own heart.”

David was a very influential figure in the Bible. Most people know of him from the story of David and Goliath, where David faces the giant in battle as a young boy, completely unarmed. David killed Goliath with a single sling, one stone and a whole lot of faith. I won’t go on to tell the whole story, but if you’re interested, you can read it in 1 Samuel 17.

So, what does “being a young person after God’s own heart” really mean, in reference to David’s heart?

David had a believing heart.

Firstly, David believed in God, admitted that he needed God, and he trusted that God would provide for and take care of him.

Psalm 23:1-2

David had a bold heart.

David trusted God and he really showed this when he faced Goliath. He trusted in the promise and power of his God when he was called to do something so risky. I don’t know about you, but facing a giant with only a sling and stone takes a whole lot of faith, and I don’t know if I would be brave enough. David trusted that God would deliver what He promised: protection.

1 Samuel 17:45

David had an inquiring heart.

He consistently sought God’s will for his life. Before he made any decisions, he brought every decision before the Lord in prayer and waited for God’s direction before he acted. There are a number of verses that reflect just how important God’s direction was to David. Here are a few:

1 Samuel 30:8

1 Chronicles 14:10

1 Samuel 5:19,23

David had a repentant heart.

David, just like you and me, failed God many times. He fell into temptation, choosing the pleasures of sin over obedience to God. One of his sins was his adulterous relationship with Bathsheba. David was confronted with his sin and humbled himself under God’s mighty hand. He realized that he sinned and he repented. (Psalm 51:10)

David didn’t get away with sinning repeatedly. Instead, he faced consequences for his sins for many years to come. David wasn’t perfect. He was human, just like you and me. So how do we become a person after God’s own heart?

We must trust in Him. We must be bold in standing up for what we believe in. We must realize that we’re far from perfect and we must admit it. We must ask for forgiveness, and we must seek God’s insight on every decision we make.

Even though we mess up, God knows when we truly, genuinely repent and want to live our lives in accordance to Him. He’s looking for people who’s hearts are truly His. Some ways that we can live our lives in accordance to Him are:

Making sure your life is in harmony with the Lord.

What’s important to Him is important to you.

You want to praise Him with your actions.

God’s not looking for perfection, because He’d never get it. He’s looking for genuineness, humility, honesty, and integrity.

I’ll be honest, I struggle with these every day of my life and I’m sure I’m not alone. It’s tough being a young person because the ways of the world are so incredibly different than the ways of the Lord. I’ve lost so many friends because I’ve chosen to remove myself from situations that can pull me down, whether it’s something small like filthy music or something a little bigger, like partying all the time. Let me tell you: when you choose to stay away from these things, you will feel lonely. You will feel like a stranger. You will feel sad. You will lose friends. And it’s OK.

After a lot of prayer and depression because I quickly became “the outcast,” I’m happy to say that I’ve found company in the Lord. I’ve found joy in the Lord. I’ve found hope in the Lord, and I’ve found a friend in the Lord. Pretty quickly I learned that eternity spent with Him is a lot more important than fitting into the “cool crowd” at school and partying every night of the week. But through this, I’ve found myself. I’ve found who I need to be and who God intended for me to be.

Long story short, be who God wants you to be first, and then His blessings will come and it’ll all get a little easier. Be kind to those who do you wrong. Pray from wisdom in those situations. Be the light in a dark world.

“If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you.If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, and I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you."
John 15:18-19