Arousing Love, a teen novel by M.H. Strom Page B

for God. What good is your life if it’s lived for
your own enjoyment, just passing moments of pleasure quickly
forgotten? It’s all meaningless.”
    “I wanna enjoy my life, what’s wrong with
that?”
    “In the end, everything you’ve ever done will
be wiped away like it never happened. But if you live for God
everything you do will count for something.”
    Josh shook his head. “You can keep your
religion, man.” He got up and headed for the door. He looked back
at me. “Let me know when you’re over all this, and we’ll go surfing
some time.”
    After he’d gone, I felt really depressed. I wish I could make him understand. He’s so blind to the
shallowness of his life. I prayed for him, and for Joanna too,
my heart ached for her.
     
    •••
     
    I went to work as usual the next day, then
spent the rest of the time shut in my room. I didn’t want to admit
it, but I was miserable. I missed Joanna so much, my life felt
empty without her. I tried to keep myself focused by reading the
Bible.
    There was a knock at the door, and I opened
it to Joanna’s father. I was so surprised to see him I just stood
there staring at him.
    “Can I come in?”
    “Uh, sure.” I let him in and he glanced
around my room, then turned to face me.
    “Joanna told me what happened.”
    “Is she okay?”
    “Yeah, she’s . . . well, she’s still upset, but she wants
whatever God’s will is for your life.”
    “I never wanted to hurt her.”
    “I know.” He sat down on my computer chair.
“Look, Zach, I understand what you’re going through, I’ve been
there myself. You’re full of zeal. You want to serve God and give
up everything for him.”
    “Yeah?”
    “Zeal is a good thing, but we can be zealous
for God and not know exactly what he wants of us. We can end up
with misguided zeal, and that can be a dangerous thing. We have to
know for sure what God wants of us, and only then act with
zeal.”
    “Did Joanna tell you about the vision I
had?”
    “Yes she did.”
    “It’s pretty clear what God wants me to do.
He showed me that all the stuff in my life was going to keep me
going ‘round in circles, but if I get rid of everything in my life
I can be used by God.”
    “I think you’re misunderstanding what God
wants of you, Zach. God knows there are things in this world that
we need, and things that make us happy. He made them for us. Jesus
said don’t run after those things like the world does, but to seek
God first, and all those things will be given to us as well. This
is about our attitude and our mindset. We seek first God’s will for
our lives and we put all that other stuff last. We don’t exist just
to satisfy our needs and wants like the rest of the world does. His
will for our lives becomes our biggest need and want.”
    “What do you think the vision means then?
What does God want me to do?”
    “I’m sure he doesn’t want you to get rid of
everything in your life. That’s an impossible way to live. It’s all
about your focus and your attitude. Don’t be focused on the things
of this world and what you want for your life. Focus on what God
wants for you. God doesn’t want your sacrifice, he wants your
heart. He doesn’t want you to throw away everything he’s given you,
and everything that makes you who you are. He wants you to love him
and put him first above all else. Most Christians don’t live like
that, their faith might be important to them but it’s just a little
piece of their lives. They have worldly goals that they want to
achieve, and they put them first in their lives—a career,
possessions, family. Their faith might be important to them, but it
isn’t the over-riding thing. But God is calling you to have a
different attitude, to have a goal in life of serving him and doing
his will. Instead of your faith being one little part of your life,
like a train track going around in circles, he wants your faith to
be the thing that drives you and sets the goals in your