To study more about Christ and follow in his steps, we should all look for people who are genuinely Christlike, then emulate their examples. When I was young and read about King David, I was envious when I saw that God said David was the apple of His eye. I prayed, “O God, would You please make me the apple of Your eye? Teach me what to do so that I can be the apple of Your eye.” I was jealous, but it was a Godly jealousy. I wanted God’s approval, and that is what you need to emulate. You must seek God’s favor—otherwise, when you are older, you will look for the approval of man. The girls will look for the boys’ approval, and the boys will look for the girls’ approval. If you are not strong in your focus on seeking only God’s approval, a boyfriend or girlfriend may pull your focus off of God instead of you leading that friend to worship God with you.
When my children were young and making friends, they were not about to abandon the focus on God first. If you wanted to be friends with Michael or Elizabeth, you had to go where they were going. Do you really think King David would leave his religion to be friends with someone who did not want to focus on God? No, God was everything to him! God answered his prayers. King David wanted to be strong, so he prayed that he would be, and God answered that prayer and made him strong enough to kill a lion and a bear! When he was young, he took a stone and killed Goliath. He was ready to take on enemies of God who defied and insulted God and His Kingdom! King David put God above all other things in his life.
For more on this topic, read History of the One True God – Volume III God-Fearing Families
