A Letter To My Younger Self | Northstar Church

Note: If you wrote a letter to your younger self, what would you say? What advice would you give? There are so many things you would want to tell your younger self, that it would be hard to know where you start. Would you confront your mistakes, write about what bothered you, what you wish you had done, and where you ended up in life. Maybe the letter would be something like this:

Dear younger me,

May I say you (me) are looking good in that suit. You may not realize it, but you are about to embark on an amazing journey where you will learn to live the faith-filled, joyful life God has planned for you. You are loved. God accepts you as you. He loves you even at your worst. And trust me, some worst has already occurred but some worst lies ahead.

You must wake up every morning with the right sense of purpose. Your purpose is not to compete with others. Your purpose is not to bring down others. Your purpose is to touch lives with the talents you have. Your purpose is to give as much as you can. Your purpose is to love unconditionally. Your ultimate purpose is to draw people to God through everything you do. Remember that you are part of God’s unfolding story.

“You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.” (Mark 12:30-31) The Holy Spirit needs to be a big part of your life. His work is good. His acceptance and counsel will set you on solid ground. It will prepare you for truly loving others. His work is good for you today and in the future. Get to know God through prayer and talk to Him often. Don’t forget to listen to Him, too. Prayer changes our hearts and allows us to be in the presence of the Lord wherever we may be.

God is still in the business of changing lives, but it is a process. As Christians, we are forgiven immediately when we invite God into our lives, but old habits can be hard to break. Give yourself grace and trust that God will grow you to look a little more like Him. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. The more we grow in faith, the more questions we have.

Whatever you do, don’t go it alone. You will fall short of your potential if you will not leverage the wisdom and insights of others who are further down this path than you are. Seek out older, wiser mentors and those who are modeling the life you want to live. Seek them out and ask for their guidance. You will be amazed how many will jump at the chance to pour into someone like you. Follow their advice, regardless of the discomfort or difficulty. Living life with friends who are like-minded Christians will help spur you on and lead you towards God in your walk with Him.

Always remember that being a Christian, a follower of God isn’t easy. It takes effort, failures, struggles, setbacks, pain, and a lot of prayers, but I can promise you that you will never go through any of that alone. God will be with you every step of the way and lead you in the direction you should go.

See you in the future. You may want to bring a mask and some hand sanitizer.

Discussion Questions:

What would you include in a letter to your younger self?
What would you include in a letter to your future self?