So that is today...
Why?
Why are you a Christian?
For me it is easy. I am so less than perfect. I do feel the need for a savior. I believe in the next life, in heaven and hell, and I believe that if we go by works I am screwed. (Pardon my french.) We had a Jehovah's Witness here one time and they believe that if you have had blood transfusions you are not eligible anymore. Guess I'm out eh? (Yes we brought that up with them and they had no answer.) I can not do enough to get there. And thankfully I have a Savior that bridges the gap. I can not get there by works.
For honesty's sake, I will say that sometimes, I believe because I just don't like the other options. Sometimes I choose Jesus because everything else just does not give me something to believe in. I also, as I mentioned above, know and feel I fall short. So we are back to the need for a Savior.
Also..it works. I pray to Jesus. I see answers. And I NEED answers on a daily basis. They are not always as I think he should answer...but I have faith that he will work out the big and the little. I have seen it. I have felt it. I will share just one small story. AJ was having a 'moment' and I knew I needed to remove myself from the room and just go pray. I did...that AJ would just feel the Holy Spirit move. He comes to find me and says, "I can't get the fruit of the Spirit song out of my head!!!!" Because he went from meltdown to that because of me lifting my words to God, I knew he was real. In that moment..and always.
For me also, it isn't about the value of being a Christian. I do KNOW there are good people in every religion. Again it is almost about NOT being good and needing a savior. Guilt and redemption are at the core. Again, my son often exemplifies the need for a Savior...and sometimes I think we are put smack dab in the middle of the Christian homeschool community to show others that indeed Christians are not perfect and in need of forgiveness. I have so many stories on that front. One that still touches my heart is from last year at our co-op. (Or maybe 2 years ago...I have lost count of the years.) My dear son went and popped a girl about half his size in a class. I was mortified. The next week I had to DRAG myself there because I was beyond embarrassed. AJ's 'stuff' sometimes manifests in behavior but it still makes me want to go run and hide. (I believe that is part of the devil's plan.) By that time AJ was repentant and the girl said she forgave Andrew. The mom said, "I just told my daughter that AJ is still learning and that although it was wrong we need to forgive." It melted my heart...forgiveness with skin on. Just imagine my God doing that a million fold. I have quite a few stories from our co-op that are like that. There have been times that people have not been as forgiving and in those instances I get a chance to forgive...and let go.
I also think that other religions can appear to 'work' in this life. But it gets back to eternity for me. And I'm not willing to gamble. God is gracious and has provided me proof when I have asked. But the prayer needs to be asked. When I asked Jesus fully into my heart in my early 30s I wasn't quite sure what I had signed up for. I just asked him to be REAL for me. And He was..and He is...
Please share WHY you believe... either in comments, email or on FB. (amylapain@yahoo.com)
4 comments:
For me, it was because I was running away from everything, and He pulled me back.
I never wanted to be a Christian, or have anything to do with it. Until I saw what living for Christ did to my husband. It changed him in so many ways. So I began to dig into the Bible (mostly to prove my husband wrong..lol) and the more I dug, the less I could deny Him. Then comes the point at which you just KNOW that you have a choice to make. And once I accepted Him, the work He has done in MY life has been incredible. Now that my eyes have been opened to His presence, it amazes me that others don't see it...the prayers answered, the miracle that is creation...all of it.
When I was younger, I never questioned. As I grew up, I tried to look at both sides, but I couldn't escape seeing God's hand everywhere. In nursing school, the sheer awesomeness of how perfectly created we are sealed the deal. As an imperfect person, who has been brought to my knees so many times, I have felt the power of Grace, and truly understood the amazing gift of redemption - paid for with Christ's blood.
When I look at the stars and think how big the universe is, I know there is something large out there. When I see the Rocky Mountains, I know there is something creative. When I stand at the edge of the volcano in Hawaii, I know there is something powerful out there. When I watch the sunset, I know there is something with an eye for art. When I hear a chickadee sing, I know its something that loves music. I see our world as the handwork of someone who is more than we can imagine.
Then, the question is who. I believe in Jesus because his story is like no other. Unlike the gods or beliefs of other faiths, he loves me enough to die for me. He doesn't expect me to change all by myself because he knows when he lives in my heart he will be the one making those changes. That is so completely different from most religions where you have to measure up first.
The final issue for me is whether or not it's real. Little details every day tell me God is orchestrating things. It's not the answers to the big prayers. It's the sweet touches. Wednesday night, we studied verses in the Bible about legalism and how Paul warned us not to cave to expectations of outer behavior according to what others believe. The very first lines that I heard on the radio when I got in the car was Lionel Ritchie, "Why in the world would anybody put chains on me?" Whispers from God happen so often that I know my father in Heaven is watching over me.
I grew up in a Christian family and accepted Christ at a very young age. I spent years doing the Christian thing. Not just because I had a relationship with God, but because it would not have been acceptable to do otherwise.
Now, in my early 40's I'm a Christian because I desperately need Christ. I can't make it without Him. Period.
I've known about God my whole life, and am now seeing Him more clearly than ever.
That is another great question.
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