Because of my personal experiences as a teenager I definitely have a heart for high school students. With that said, I would love to pass along a few ideas that might make a huge difference as you graduate from high school.
Get involved in a local church. To grow spiritually you are going to need to hear regular preaching, spend time with people who are outside of your 18-22 age bracket, and be encouraged by a bible-believing, gospel-centered church.
Stay away from the party scene. Here is what you need to know. You are not missing anything by avoiding drinking, drugs, and jumping from one dating relationship to another. I have personal experience in this area and I can tell you that you will end up much happier if you keep your eyes on Christ and keep the right perspective regarding these temporal pleasures.
Make a point of deepening your daily walk with Christ. Buy an excellent study Bible. Set up a regular time that you read your Bible and pray. These spiritual disciplines are absolutely critical for your Christian faith.
Be a light for Christ on your campus. (If your next step is not going to college this still applies to you). Don’t merely try to survive college. God has placed you there to be his ambassador. Be looking to build relationships. Open up your heart and love others. Don’t be afraid to share your faith. Look for students who are struggling and encourage them.
Think hard about your passions, dreams, and what you really enjoy doing. God has created you with specific gifts, abilities, and talents. Don’t just think about how college can prepare you for a job. Be thinking about what you truly want to do and how you can make a difference in the world. Jesus did not say that life has to be one long grind. Instead, Jesus told us this in John 10:10, “I came so that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”
Don’t let the world define what “success” is all about. Life is not primarily about making money, career advancement, and making a name for yourself. You may have all of those things but there is a greater mission that you are being called to. How is your life and career going to help build the kingdom of God? It has been said, “Our greatest fear should not be of failure but of succeeding at things in life that don’t really matter.”