Hebrews 4:15

Hebrews 4:15 – “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.”

As they begin to learn about and experience genuine hardships for the first time, teenagers often hold onto this belief that whatever they are going through, they must be alone in it. No one – especially not parents – could possibly understand what they’ve been put through. Personally, I think that deep down I always felt like being the only person that has experienced something painful almost gave me some kind of merit. Like some mental medal of honor that sets me apart from my peers and even superiors. By nature, I want to feel like I’ve overcome this extraordinary obstacle that was unique to me, so that no one else could get recognition for sharing the pain that I went through.

Like most things, as we hold onto this mentality by pushing away our parents / loved ones, we do the same to God. After all, our God is a perfect person; “He could never understand what it’s like to live in a sinful and imperfect world.” While there is one truth there, what follows could not be further from the truth. Not only did Jesus Christ experience countless temptations and hardships during his life, but He faced trials that we may never understand. The only difference here is that he overcame every single one – even death. He has been tried just as we are, “yet without sin.”

It’s so important and rewarding to remember that God feels everything that we feel precisely when we feel it. He always knows what you’re going through. We should remember this when we want to push away from Him to protect fragile pride.

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