March 1
The Courage
to Be Real
“My heart says, ‘Seek him!’ Lord, I will seek you.”
Psalm 27:8, NIrV
Kylan slouched at his desk in the back of the classroom, casually scrolling through his phone while his friends cracked jokes about their weekend plans. To everyone around him, he was the easygoing guy, always laughing and going along with whatever the group decided. But beneath the surface, Kylan was wrestling with something he hadn’t told anyone.
Kylan grew up hearing about God. His mom would read him Bible stories at bedtime, and his grandmother would pray for him whenever they visited. But now, as a teenager, he felt torn. His friends weren’t religious, and they often teased people who talked about faith. Kylan didn’t want to be the odd one out.
One day, his best friend Carter noticed the simple black bracelet on Kylan’s wrist. “What’s that?” Carter asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Oh, just something my grandma gave me,” Kylan replied quickly, trying to brush it off. He didn’t mention that the bracelet had a small cross on it, or that his grandma had given it to him as a reminder to trust God.
That evening, as Kylan sat alone in his room, his heart felt heavy. He opened the drawer by his bed, pulled out the Bible his grandma had given him, and flipped through the pages. His eyes landed on Psalm 27:8: “My heart says, ‘Seek him!’ Lord, I will seek you.”
The words felt like they were speaking directly to him. Kylan realized he had been avoiding God, afraid of what his friends might think if they knew about his faith. But deep down, he missed the peace he felt when he prayed with his grandma.
Kylan sat there for a long time, staring at the verse. Finally, he whispered, “God, I’m scared. I don’t know if I can be the person You want me to be in front of everyone else. But I want to try. Help me to be brave.”
The next day at school, Carter noticed the bracelet again. This time, Kylan smiled and said, “It’s a cross. My grandma gave it to me to remind me of God.” Carter shrugged and said, “Cool.” The moment passed, but something changed in Kylan. He realized that seeking God didn’t mean he had to shout it from the rooftops—it just meant being honest about who he was, even in small ways.
Prayer:
Thank You for calling us to seek You with all our hearts.
Like Kylan, we often feel torn between the world’s opinions and the truth we know about You.
Help us to be courageous and true to our faith, even when it feels uncomfortable.
Teach us to listen to the quiet promptings of our hearts when You call us to draw closer to You.
Give us the wisdom to know how to share Your love with others and the strength to live for You, even in small, everyday moments.
In Jesus' name, Amen.
