The Truth

   It’s been on my heart to do something for a while now, and I’m going to do it today. I want to share the most intimate part of my life and invite anyone reading this to have what I have. I’ve been a Christian for a long time. Now, before you leave the room screaming, hear me out. I’m not here to tell you about how terrible your ways are, or how great mine are. As a matter of fact, I have more bad things about me than good, and chances are that you’re as good or better a person as I am. Accepting Christ didn’t make my life easier either. In fact, I have many more bad days than good ones. I struggle and feel an intense need to belong in a place where I never will. To put it simply, my life has been even harder since I accepted Christ. I want to share something with you, though. This singular thing makes all of it worth it.

   I once heard a man say that gay people and divorced people couldn’t go to heaven because no one who is actively living in a sin could possibly be a Christian. I won’t name who that man was, but he was someone who most people would consider a very knowledgeable and Godly man. I’ve always thought that he misunderstood salvation on the most basic level, though. I curse when I’m angry. Sometimes I throw out a curse word when I’m just telling a joke. I try not to, but in truth, I probably say at least one bad word every day of my life. I’m living in a sin, and honestly, I’m not doing as much as I should to get out of it. What makes me so different from a divorced or gay person? What makes a person who eats or drinks a little too much any different than these people? Now, don’t misunderstand what I’m saying. I believe all of the things I’ve just named are sins, but we get caught up in the actions of others too often. We think that some things are not redeemable. I’ve heard a lot of Godly men say things like this, and I think these men are confused. They don’t know their God as well as they think they do.

   Let me tell you about the God I know. He’s someone who can use former murderers for good, give divorced people who came the from terrible relationships the strength to forgive and find the love they always deserved, and put those lost in sexual sins back on the right path. He can give you strength to beat addiction and the empathy to understand those who feel they can’t. That’s not even the greatest thing He can do, though. God can love you even when you’re not trying to beat any of those things. He can see you as imperfect as you are and still love you. No parent can give you that love and no spouse will ever love you unconditionally. He sent His only Son to die for you. You see, back before Jesus came, people had to sacrifice to cover their sins. God can’t look upon sin, and the only way he could was with this sacrifice. Jesus died for us and became a lifeline straight to the Being who made us. There are no big conditions for gaining a relationship with your Creator either. All you have to do is believe that Jesus died for you and ask Him to cover the debt of your sin. Then you can have a daily relationship with your God. That doesn’t mean your days will get better or that you have a get out of jail free card from sin, but it does mean this. You’ll have a Father to talk to through all the joy and hardships in your life. You’ll have the most powerful Being in this universe listening to and caring for you, and when it’s all over, you’ll get to join your Father in heaven. It sounds like it couldn’t be that simple, but it is. I’ve explored every other option besides God in my life to try to see if there’s another explanation for the world around me, and this is the best one I can come up with. I know God’s love is real. It’s strange to say, but I can feel it every day.

   We focus on judgment a lot in the Christian community, but if you want a God who will never have anything but forgiveness and love for you, then reach out and ask for Him to be the key part of your life. I do stress this. Every relationship is a two way street. Saying a few words to God will NOT save you or give you the perfect life. Walking with Him daily will do that. The words are simply words. Without true feeling, belief, and commitment behind them, your words will ring hollow. If you’re ready to make God your life, so He can also make you His focus, then say these words, or some version of them, and truly mean them.

   God, I know I’m a sinner, and I’ll always be imperfect until the day I die, but I don’t want this burden anymore. I believe that you sent your Son to die for my sins. I want Jesus’s blood to cover them, and I want a relationship with You. Please bless me and use me daily for anything that glorifies You. Give me the strength to be more like Jesus moving forward, and thank You for this wonderful gift. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

   I don’t know if anyone out there reading this has decided to accept Jesus as their Savior, and I know a lot of people might think this is strange for me to write. I usually write about books, but this is part of my journey. I had to share my faith and ask people to join me. If you’ve accepted Jesus or if you do in the future, know that life will be hard at times. It might be even harder than it used to be, but there will be a love and peace that surrounds you in your darkest moments that’s unexplainable. Welcome to the family, and I hope your walk with God is full of love, redemption, and most importantly, a realization that no one is beyond saving as long as God is allowed to do His work.