Guest Post by Megan // the most important lesson I have learned in my teenage years

Today I'm RIDICULOUSLY excited to share this post with you. I came across the lovely Megan through blogging and we recently decided to do a post swap. So I'm blogging over at her fantastic blog (Pen and Ink) and she's taking over here today. Megan is amazing and I'm so excited that you get to read her awesome thoughts!! :) Here we go.



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I am so honored to be able to do this post swap with Bonnie today! She is a fabulous girl, and I always love reading her posts. She has loads of wisdom and a beautiful heart for God and others! Since this is a post swap, Bonnie is posting over at my blog today, so you should definitely go read that! We are both answering the question “What is the most important lesson you have learned in your teenage years?”

I am only seventeen, so I am not quite out of my teenage years yet, but I have learned a lot. Through all of the crazy things that have happened in the last five years, God’s love and grace have been SO evident. It was hard to figure out what the number one lesson that I have learned is, but a big thing that I have learned (and that I am still learning!) is the importance of doing hard things.

In today’s society, teenagers love to take it easy. The message that is constantly being communicated to us is to enjoy being a teenager—live it up! The idea of taking on big responsibility is scary, so we avoid it. We stay in our comfort zones, because they are, well…comfortable! Every once in a while, we hear about a teen who accomplished something great, and we think, “Wow…they are really cool! I wish I could do something like that.” However, it looks too hard or it takes too long. Most of the time, it is something that looks too intimidating, and instead of plowing through the problems, we decide it is not for us, and we move on with our easy, comfortable lives, eventually forgetting about doing the big things that we dreamed of.

I am somebody who loves to be comfortable. My comfort zone is a safe place to be, and I am really cautious about doing things that are new to me or that may not work out. But when I look at the root of why I don’t want to do something hard, I realize that it is fear of failure. In fact, I think that is the main reason why many people avoid doing hard things. Failure can be really embarrassing, and nobody wants that! When confronted with a big task that is out of our comfort zone, we shake our heads and say, “No…I could never do that! She is much better at that sort of thing. why don’t you ask her instead?” What we don’t realize is that doing stuff that is out of our comfort zones helps us to grow in huge ways! We gain new skills, learn how to handle certain situations, and it can help us to overcome a lot of fears. In doing that hard thing, we may even find a unique gift that we didn’t know we had, or a job that we love! Even if things don’t go how we expected or hoped, we can learn how to do it better next time.

You see, when you get out and do things, you learn. But if you stay inside of your shell and only do what is comfortable, you are missing out on SO much. Will it all be perfect? No. Will you experience failure? At some point, yes. Whatever you do, don’t shrink from the failure, and don’t let your fear take over and hold you back.

The important thing is, God did not make us so that we could have an easy ride through life. Life is not about finding happiness, comfort, or even great success! It’s about growing and learning, developing the amazing skills that He gave us, and using them to ultimately bring Him glory. We were never called to sit back in our comfort zones and watch the world go by. We were called to get out and share His love and light with other people in every way possible, no matter how uncomfortable it may be for us.

Think of something that you have been avoiding because of how hard it looks, how afraid you are, or how inadequate you feel. Pray about it! Give it all up to God and ask for His guidance and strength. Confess your fears, and ask Him to show you what He wants you to do. If you have the Holy Spirit in you, you are never alone. Do that hard thing. Learn from your mistakes, get out of what is comfortable for you, and notice how you grow! Whatever you do, don’t waste your teenage years. You may never get these opportunities back again.

  “If we take a step despite feeling uncomfortable, afraid, or inadequate, our comfort zones expand. We grow in strength and skill. What we consider normal for us changes, sometimes radically.” -Do Hard Things by Alex and Brett Harris

About the Author:



Hello! My name is Megan! I am a homeschooled girl living in a small town with my large family. I love writing, music, hugs, and cookies. I am a dreamer, a talker, and a writer. Most importantly, I am a child of God. He is my everything, and I am here to live the amazing story He has written for me! I have a blog called Pen and Ink, and I would love for you to stop by and say hello!