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Fear – Though fear has many iterations, the most repeated manifestation is the person who compares themselves to others. The more insecure you are, the more desperate you will be, making your friend choices less than desirable.
Confusion – God can feel distant and mysterious, even inattentive to what is happening to you. Many adults struggle with discerning the Lord, especially in the storms of life. You need to know that God is good, kind, and receptive, especially when things are not clear.
Experimentation – The person who feels empty on the inside may succumb to go idol shopping. The hope is to fill the void of discontentment with people, places, or things. Typically, anger is the cause because they are not getting what they want.
Discouragement – It is easy to “nit-pick” teenagers; it’s harder to encourage them. If you’re not in an encouraging context, the temptation will be keen to latch on to someone who shows an interest in you. They could be your functional god—the person who provides the approval you crave.
Despair – Any of the things on this list can tempt a teen to give up trying. From their perspective, they have exhausted all their options, so they begin shutting down. There is a loneliness that they feel, even when they are around their friends.
Rick Thomas leads a training network for Christians to assist them in becoming more effective soul care providers. RickThomas.Net reaches people around the world through consulting, training, podcasting, writing, counseling, and speaking.
In 1990 he earned a BA in Theology, and in 1991 he received a BS in Education. In 1993 he was ordained into Christian ministry, and in 2000 he graduated with an MA in Counseling from The Master’s University in Santa Clarita, CA. In 2006 he was recognized as a Fellow of the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (ACBC).