Taking a Stand - Kyle's Story

In junior high school, I heard many stories about the parties, drinking, and drugs available in high school. People told me if you didn't drink or party, you'd be unpopular and have a hard time making friends. So when my freshman year began, I was worried about fitting in. I was soon invited to my first drinking party.

My first thought was to go, but my conscience kicked in and I said no, I wasn't into partying. The group that invited me shot me a confused look, and one guy finally said, "That's cool. I respect that." It felt good not to be made fun of.

I was invited to a lot of drinking parties, and my response was always the same. As months went by, I noticed I wasn't being invited to many parties. Fewer people were asking me to get drunk or high. I realized that this wasn't because I was unpopular; it was because everyone already knew my answer. I was still friends with the kids who invited me to parties, and I hung out with them a lot at school, but they knew not to ask me to drink because I was going to refuse. Some Christian friends think I'm wrong to hang out with people who drink and get high, but I disagree. I try to follow how Jesus lived his life as described in the Bible. He was friends with partiers and tax collectors and prostitutes. Jesus was frowned upon for visiting unpopular people like Zachaeus, a tax collector. When people asked Jesus why he befriended sinners, he answered: "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost" (Luke 19:10).

According to the way Jesus lived his life, it's OK to hang out with sinful people, but not to give in to sin. My non-Christian friends tell me they're proud of me for not drinking and doing drugs. I talk with them about my relationship with God, and I'm showing them that life can be fun as a Christian. I try to be an example to them and pray that one day they will trust Jesus with their lives.

What God Taught Me

• It's OK to be friends with people who party as long as I keep my standards high.
• Not drinking or doing drugs doesn't make me unpopular. Most kids respect my decision.
• I need to continue to pray for and share my faith with my non-Christian friends who are caught up in alcohol or drugs.
• God regularly reminds me to pray that I will resist the temptation of drinking or drugs.

Write Your Story

We all face temptation to disobey God. In what area of life do you feel the most temptation? Write on paper to ask God to give you strength to stand strong in this area.

Talk To God

Use this prayer, or talk to God in your own words:
Jesus, please give me the courage to stand for what I know is right. Help me to refuse the temptation of partying. I pray for opportunities to talk with my non-Christian friends about you. Amen.

Talk With Friends

In a small group, talk about these questions:

• What is your view on alcohol and drugs? How big a temptation are they in your life? Are drugs and alcohol prevalent in your school?
• How do your classmates view students who have chosen not to party?
• Suppose someone asks you to party with him or her. How would you explain your stand on partying? Would you still hang out with him or her at school? Why or why not?

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