Why Become a Christian?
By Eden J. Jones
I have
been a Christian for nearly twenty years. I’m twenty-five now, and it’s
difficult to imagine what my life would be like if I had never decided to
follow God. But sometimes, I do try to imagine that life. And that leads me to
wonder if other people who are not Christians ever ponder what their life would
be like if they decided to follow Jesus. Or perhaps they simply look at the
seemingly “dull” lives of Christians like myself (who don’t drink, don’t party,
don’t sleep around, go to church every Sunday) and wonder why in the world
anyone would choose to live the life of a Christian. It’s really difficult to
explain to someone the fullness of the answer to that question, especially
without sounding cliché. Here’s some poetry from Psalm 27 that I paraphrased in
my own words. I think it summarizes well the benefits of having a relationship
with Christ. I invite you to read it, Christians and non-believers alike,
review the biblical passage for yourself, and then ponder its truth. At the
end, I will relate my personal testament in regard to the passage.
So, why become a Christian? Because...
God will be your light in dark
times, a savior from whatever ails you. With Him, you will never have to fear
again.
When you are harassed by the
enemies in your life, God will protect you, and cause them to fall.
Not even an army will be able to
make you lose your confidence when you have Jesus.
Once you have truly experienced
the love of the God who made you, you will only want one thing: to live with
Him and continue experiencing His love forever.
Just like being in love, you
will never tire of gazing in awe of His beauty – the beauty of true perfection.
You will want to spend hours at Jesus’ feet, asking him the questions no man
can answer.
If you are ever in trouble, He
will hide you. He will spread His wide arms over you like a tent.
He will place you upon His giant
rock, where tsunamis cannot harm you, though they lash at your feet.
You will look out over your
enemies from the shelter of your tent on the rock and be overwhelmed with joy.
You will be moved to shout and sing thanks to the King who saved you.
God will always hear your cries,
and answer them. He is never too busy. He will not be angry with you when you
come to Him for help, no matter what things you have done. If even your own
family rejects you, the Lord still will not. His door and His arms are always
open.
God will teach you His wise ways
and put your life on a level road. If you let Him, He will make sure your
enemies never win over you.
All you have to do is look to
Him, believe that He is good, and wait for Him.
Be strong. Be courageous, and
wait.
And
that’s what life can be as a Christian. I understand why many are skeptical.
It’s difficult to believe that what described above could really be accurate,
especially when there is so much obvious pain and evil in the world. It does
not help that there are, indeed, many poor examples of Christians out there.
What each person should remember is that we are all imperfect and often sinful
humans, even the Christians. Becoming a Christian does not mean that you are
perfect. (What it should mean is that you are striving towards the perfection
which is Christ). A life in Christ means being empowered to live a pure and
righteous life, but it does not guarantee that one will always make the right
choices.
So if you have ever wondered what it would be like to become
a Christian, or you have been jaded by an encounter with a poor example, I hope
you will consider again this message. And also to current Christians who are
discouraged, be reminded of one Psalmist’s words: Be
strong. Be courageous, and wait.
Become a Christian, follow Christ, and you will experience a life different
from what you ever knew was possible. It will not be free of trials or be
perfect by any means, but you will know the meaning of true happiness, your
life will have a purpose, and you will experience eternal love like you never
knew it before.
Sincerely,
A
Christian
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