OC HIGH / Student News and Views : Finding Guidance in His Faith

I respect the opinion of the student who wrote an essay on being an atheist, but I want to share with her and other teens why my faith in God is important to me.

My father named me Daniel after the Daniel in the Bible. My name in Hebrew means “God is my judge.” If God is my judge, then I don’t worry when other people mock my faith--like Daniel in the Bible. He was honest; he had a pure heart, and he trusted God. He put God first in his life, and God delivered him.

Even from hungry lions.

Like my namesake, my faith gives me confidence in God--faith that he will act on his promises and help me live my life day by day.

We teens need help, guidance and heroes. But many of our heroes and role models let us down.

I like to read a lot. I like Sports Illustrated and magazines about music and film. But some of the big jocks, the athletes, the movie stars I read about never seem happy. They chase money and fame and women. But the car is never fast enough, or the house big enough, or the girl pretty or sexy enough.

Sometimes I think their lives are empty. Maybe because they don’t have values to live by, or have room for God, and are too proud of their talents.

My principal at Schweitzer School when I went there was very big on values. He stressed that integrity is making responsible choices.

My dad is also big on values and choices. He always tells me: “A man is responsible for his own face.” I guess he means that if you make a lot of bad choices, you’re not going to look too good at 40!

Well, maybe the same can be said of a teen-ager’s face. We may not want acne, but it’s part of growing up. I don’t like to see zits in the morning. Clear skin is important to teens.

But more important is a clear conscience. The bathroom mirror just shows the outer face. You have to look deeper to find the real you.

I am happy with myself only if I am happy with what I find in my heart.

But it is very easy to deceive yourself. So I read the Bible for guidance. I pray each night, and I think about the truths I discover in Scripture.

Some are not easy to understand.

Even strong people can be crushed by suffering and ask, “Why?” Like what happened in the Oklahoma bombing.

But I saw many people on TV come together and sing hymns, and their faith in God comforted them, even if they didn’t understand why.

Faith helps us overcome many things. It is light in a dark world. It gives me strength. If, by example, I do what Daniel in the Bible did and serve God with joy, than other people will know there is a God.

And that this God is a God of love.