In this article, we will examine the lives of two young people we can read about in the Bible – Joseph and Esther. Their lives were separated by about 1,400 years, and they are both much further separated from us today. Yet their examples teach us some important lessons.

Many young people are tempted to sin in various ways (using bad language, dressing immodestly, using drugs or alcohol, identifying themselves with the LGBTQ ideology, etc.) because they feel the need to have the approval of others. Of course, this problem is not limited to those who are young – everyone can face these same pressures. What makes them especially challenging for young people is that they have not yet learned how to deal with these pressures. Because of this, they feel as if they are, in a sense, dependent upon the approval of those around them. This can be difficult and stressful because other people are constantly changing their values, priorities, morals, etc. What they want from us can differ from one day to the next.

However, there is a peace that comes by being dependent upon God. This will make us, in a sense, independent of the approval of others. In other words, gaining the favor of the world for our opinions and behaviors will not seem nearly as important when we focus on God and gaining His approval. Yet in order for this to work correctly, we must never see ourselves as independent from God.

So let us consider what we can learn from Joseph and Esther – how they demonstrated their dependence upon God and how we can do the same today.Continue Reading