9 August | Teens
«“Now, therefore,” says the Lord, “Turn to Me with all your heart, With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.”» Joel 2: 12
Imagine you're walking or biking and suddenly realize you're going in the wrong direction. In this situation, the best thing to do is to change direction, right? In the spiritual life, sometimes we need to do this too. When we change paths, we are making a “conversion” to the other side.
In Joel 2:12 and 13, God invites us to make a spiritual conversion. He says, “Turn to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.” This means that, if we are going in a direction that is not pleasing to God, we should stop, think and change our path to follow Him. Conversion is when we decide to stop doing things that we know are wrong and start doing what is right in God's eyes. It is a change of attitude, thoughts and actions.
God is always ready to welcome us back, no matter what we've done wrong. He is loving and merciful, and He wants us to live a life that is good for us and pleasing to Him. When we are converted, that is, when we change our direction to follow God's ways, we begin a new journey with Him.
Take Action
Think of something that you know is not pleasing to God and decide to change it. It could be something small, like being kinder to your siblings or friends, or something bigger. Remember, conversion starts with small steps. And every step you take toward God is a step toward a better life!