In the beginning of my last post, I wrote about how God uses a verse I learned when I was small to speak to me today. God does not waste anything in our lives, and I just want to praise Him for that!
All the wise words poured on me in my youth did not mean so much to me then. But now, my spiritual heritage is a daily blessing. You see, it's because of all I learned as a child in all sorts of great Christian programs--and because of all I saw in my God-seeking parents--and because of all they taught me (which I only half-listened to), that when I became an adult, I wanted that kind of friendship with God.
I wanted to be a Christ follower, and I wanted to know that my faith was really mine. So I set out, trying to figure out my religion on my own. And that's just where I found that it wasn't about religion at all. In fact, religion had gotten in the way of my relationship with God. While parts of it are good, even great, it had to start with only me and Jesus.
So my own faith journey began with me knowing what a complete sinner I am. I knew from the time I was young that I needed Jesus. At the same time, I didn't KNOW that I NEEDED JESUS. If that makes any sense to you at all.
I haven't done anything in my life that most people would judge "really bad". I asked Jesus to come live in my heart when I was four years old, and He protected me from a lot of trouble. My teen years were a different story...but even then, I figured most people have a little "too much fun" during those years.
For a long time, I was caught up in the practice of judging sins, labeling them Bad or Badder. (Don't worry, I know that's not a word.) I still slip into it every now and then, but it's nothing short of wicked Pride. God makes no distinction between sins, and I have no business doing so either. When I do good, it's to His glory, and I shouldn't try to turn it into my own.
The truth is, at the heart of me, I'm sinful. I'm selfish and prideful and unloving and unkind and impatient, and more. And the only good here is that Jesus came in and changed me. Oh, I still battle with my selfishness, my pride, my unkindness, my impatience, and more...but He is the good in my heart, and when I live in step with the Spirit of God, I live righteously. But when I let my sinful nature control me, I am right back to where I began. So I--the person who was introduced to Jesus before I uttered my first words even--desperately NEED Jesus.
That's where I started to make my faith my own, at the point where I realized my great need for Him.
Where I peeled back the layers of all I knew about God and church and "religion"...that's where I found myself in a relationship with my Maker, the one who decided there should be a me.
That's where I discovered His unbelievable love for me and His desire for me to draw near to Him. That's where I figured out that the key to having a good life really and truly is found in Jesus Christ. In spending time with Him, talking to Him and listening, in studying the Word of God and letting my Father faithfully sprinkle His priceless phrases over all the needy places of my life.
I truly believe with all my heart this sentence that I wrote in my journal not too long ago after something from the passage grabbed ahold of my heart:
The key to everything in life is Jesus! Everything....
My heart breaks for those who do not believe this. Especially for those who have gazed too long at religion and missed the Christ in Christianity. And for those who are stuck on some regulation, some rule they just don't feel they can follow, or some experience they had with someone who was supposed to be a true believer. For those who are hurt after all these years by the way they were treated by a group of Christians. Or those who are doing a good job of looking, acting, or dressing like a Christian, who are satisfied with being pretty good, but are just missing the whole relationship, and missing out on knowing Jesus.
Don't let people hold you back from Him.
Don't let religion keep you away.
Dear Ones, I do hope you realize your great need for Him.
Romans 3:9-12 What shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin. As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one."
Romans 3:21-24 But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
Romans 5:6-8 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man, someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us!
