School is starting and that means college will be commencing soon too. All of your friends are going off to college and you feel left out, shied into a corner and stuffed into a box with the rest of your homeschooled friends.

What’s worse is that maybe you’re old enough to have a boyfriend now and it seems like all of your friends have either been in a relationship or they are in one now. You’re the odd ball out on this one too.

Boys seem like uncharted territory to you. You wish you could crawl up into your bed, pull the covers over your head and just wait until the good times come to you.

There are a million questions in your mind about decisions and choices, guys and girls, God and the world, school and your biblical calling.

Let me explain one thing.

If you have chosen to be a daughter who lives at home or if God has laid it on your heart to skip college you are not a “less than.” You’re not less than the girl who’s pursuing a college degree; you’re not less than the girl who has the perfect hair and boyfriend.

You are valuable and treasured by the King. I’m not saying girls who go to college are bad. Some of my best friends go to college.

I simply want to share a personal message with the girls who have chosen to pursue family and biblical womanhood at home.

If you are that girl I encourage you to keep the following in mind:

College, guys (or the idea of a boyfriend), and the perfect stereo-type lifestyle can be distractions.

The enemy can use these things to keep your mind in a state of discontentment and unhappiness. It’s the same thing when a Christian is tempted or distracted by secular music and movies and an unholy lifestyle.

The devil knows your weaknesses and uses things or people of the world to make you discontent with the lifestyle or calling that God has so firmly established in your heart.

If you are insecure in your thinking, your thinking patterns will affect your attitude and your attitude will affect your decision making, which will ultimately affect your life. All of this will, in a harmful way, affect your walk with the Lord.

The devil is smart and ruthless.

He doesn’t let up for a minute. He knows where and how hard to hit you with little snares and traps. He wants to keep you from experiencing God’s joy and love and freedom in your life.

The devil wants everything to be about you. And as fallen human beings, it’s easy to be tricked and caught in the devil’s evil wiles. That’s why it is so important that you accept the fact that Satan is a tough opponent.

He can make you slip up, but he can not conquer.

Jesus says in John 16:33, “In the world you will have tribulation; but take heart, I have overcome the world.”

We need to guard our hearts and put on the full armor of Christ as the true warriors that He has called us to be.

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” Eph. 6:10-13 (Read the rest of Chapter 6 to see what the armor of God is and how it can help you!)

You are wrestling with the world and the prince of this world from the moment you open your eyes in the morning.

But you’re not alone.

You have the Creator of the universe on your side! When you catch your thoughts of discontentment or when you notice that you are doubting God’s Sovereign plan for your life and confess those thoughts as sin, you are, by the power of the Holy Spirit, trampling Satan’s attacks on your heart.

God already has the victory. He has already crushed the enemy. All you need to do is trust Him.

Don’t question where God has you right now, dear girl.

When you do that, you are actually calling God a fraud. You are telling God, “You’re wrong God, I wasn’t meant for this kind of life. I want things to be my way. This needs to happen and that needs to be mine.”

You are becoming the lord of your own life and trust me, you don’t want that to happen. You hear over and over again that God has everything under control and that everything happens for a reason.

But in your heart of hearts, do you really trust that?

Isaiah 29:13 says, “These people draw near with their mouths, and honor Me with their lips, but have removed their hearts far from Me, and their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men…”

You need to believe that what God says is true. He does have a greater and more awesome plan for you than anything you can imagine.

Here are 4 ways that can help you trust Jesus and fight off the devil at the same time:

1. Read at least one chapter in the Bible every day. When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, He combated Satan with scripture (Matt. 4). You can do the same! This will also mature your faith in Christ.

2. Get busy! Try to involve yourself in ministry in some way. There are so many resources and ways that you can help out. They say “idle hands are the devil’s workshop.” Don’t give him that opportunity.

3. Worship. Don’t compromise with the world by filling your head with garbage. Worshiping the Lord with songs of encouragement can help to guard your heart and mind.

4. Surround yourself with friends that will uplift you. Fellowship is sweet and a blessing from the Lord. Just the right amount with the right people will bless you more than you know.

I hope this has encouraged and inspired you!

Let’s talk about it:

Do you get feelings of discontentment and worry while living at home?
Do you doubt where God has you in life right now?
How will you become a warrior and combat the devil today?