Discovering Faith
I thought I would deviate from my normal postings about Bible passages and lessons learned about the Lord and inject some personal thoughts. This is not easy for me, as I’ve been told I tend to be a “private” person. And I’ve often wrestled with just how personal to get on this blog. But here goes:
Tonight I am feeling whimsical and somewhat nostalgic. So I thought I’d open my heart. The main thing on my mind this day is that I do not know what I would do if it were not for the truth and reality of God in my life.
You see, I wasn’t always concerned with the things of God. I was raised in a traditional church environment where I showed up on Sundays, but it was a duty and meant nothing on any level beyond obligation. I’ve always believed in the existence of God and the historical explanation that Jesus died on the cross for man’s sins, but I understood that to mean that Christ’s death was for some universal, blanket-type application for all human beings on the planet. I still had so many personal, unanswered questions.
Not until I was 28 years old and going through a heart-breaking broken engagement did I attend church for the first time in years and actually “hear” the gospel message. God had a plan for my life. But sin was keeping me separated from Him. If I would confess my sins and place my trust in Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross, which erased my sins against God, then God would adopt me as His child and guide me for the rest of my life.
I didn’t understand everything I heard that day in church, but what I did understand is this: I had never considered consulting God about my day-to-day life. I had never known that such a thing was possible. I’d wrestled for the longest time with the question of the purpose of this world and my place in it. What was the point of being here? Where was I going? Was there any such thing as absolute truth?
That day was the beginning of a new life for me. That day I did a 180 and began to follow Jesus Christ.
It’s been 21 years since that day, and I have to say that life as a Christian has certainly been different from what I ever anticipated, but God is truly an “anchor for my soul” and has proven the truth of Christ’s words: “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” (John 8:12).
God And Suffering
If you’ve been keeping up with this blog, then you are familiar with the four years of prolonged medical problems and resulting sufferings I have experienced. And this leads me back to what I said at the start: Were it not for the faithfulness of God; were it not for the absolute truth of His promises as given to us in the Bible; were it not for the reality that Jesus Christ is who we are all seeking for…who holds the answers to every deepest longing of our hearts, I would not be here right now. I would not have made it this far. I would have given up. Life is too hard and cold, and apart from having a relationship with the living God, there is no meaning in this world. God promises to those who trust in Him that their life will not be in vain. Christ is the one who makes it possible for our sufferings to have eternal purposes. Apart from Him, all suffering is without hope.
I remember when I first came to this realization in July of 1988. That was the day that I turned toward God. I recall thinking, “What if this is just a fad?” I had followed so many philosophies—considered so many religions and viewpoints up to that point. How could I know this was REAL?
About a year later I ended up spending a semester at an international Bible School in Chicago where I met people from at least 30 different countries around the globe. It was as if we all spoke the same “language.” Everyone, although unique in personalities and experiences, shared a common thread of understanding—that Jesus Christ was the way, the truth, and the life of this world. That experience cemented my faith forever.
If you are undergoing prolonged suffering, and if you feel there is no point to your existence in this world, then please consider that God is the only one who can turn your experiences into “gold.” Ask Him to forgive you and to change your heart and lead your life. Read His word, the Bible. Talk to him honestly about your thoughts and feelings. Let go of this world and follow Him instead. “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.” (Mathew 24:35).
Following Christ does not mean that you will never suffer, or question, or struggle in this world. But it does mean that He will infuse you with His enduring strength and transform your agonies of this world to eternal rewards. And when your time comes to leave this earth, you will have the assurance that you will live forever, with Him, in the world to come!
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