I have nothing to hide on my MySpace. So is it still wrong? I talk only to the people I know, and I never give out any personal information.

Wondering

Dear Wondering:
The issue here really isn’t MySpace; it’s disobedience. It doesn’t matter if MySpace is the best thing in the world; if your parents have told you not to participate, you need to honor and obey them.

I think—if used with great caution—MySpace can be a fun and creative outlet. But it’s not my opinion here that matters. Please talk with your parents and come clean with them. Ask them to forgive you for going behind their backs, then ask if they’ll look at your page with you and possibly reconsider.

Dear Susie:
I am an MK in South Africa, and I attend a very worldly school. None of my friends are Christians, and every time I even make the smallest comment concerning the Bible, one friend completely loses it and says, “Oh shut up with the stupid Bible lesson!”

Plus, we’ve put on a performance in the last three months, and I’ve had to spend hours with teenage guys with really sick minds, people who smoke and take drugs and couples who are openly physical with each other. How am I supposed to guard my heart and mind and yet also be a light?

Bewildered

Dear Bewildered:
I admire you for wanting to be a light in a dark world, and my heart goes out to you that it’s so tough. Try to remember that this world isn’t your real home; it’s simply a temporary dwelling place. And try to see your non-Christian peers as students who are lost and deceived. They don’t need to be your best friends; you don’t even need to spend time with them outside of class.

But be friendly, and keep praying for them. You can’t escape being around them, nor can you escape hearing their remarks. But you can choose to focus your attention elsewhere. As soon as you hear something disgusting, shoot up a quick prayer or silently quote a Scripture verse. This will help keep your mind focused on things that are pure, lovely and admirable, as the apostle Paul encourages us to do in Philippians 4:8.

Dear Susie:
I realize that drinking can be a gray area in Christianity. I know for sure that it’s wrong if you’re drinking before you’re of legal age, but I’m almost old enough, and I’m not sure how I stand on the issue.

The Bible clearly states that getting drunk is wrong. I’ve heard arguments for both sides of the story, and I haven’t made up my mind as to how I feel about this issue.

Seeking

Dear Seeking:
There are so many downsides to taking that first drink! You could be genetically predisposed to alcohol addiction; it damages your body; it can lead to usage of harder things. What’s the point? Why even start?

Instead of asking, “Can I drink?” why not instead ask, “Father God, what more can I do to live in the very center of Your holy will?”