Finding God...and finding life...

Ever felt like something’s missing, like there ought to be more to life? Maybe you’ve run here and there, tried this and that, searching for something to complete your life--and you’ve come up empty. Maybe deep down inside you feel like a desert, and you’re looking for something that will refresh your soul. You can’t put a name on it, but somehow you know that there has to be something more. I know how you feel. I used to feel that way, too.

I once felt like life didn’t make sense. And I tried everything to fill up the horrible emptiness I felt inside. Alcohol. Drugs. Parties. Sex. Religion. Power. Position. Prestige. But nothing worked. Nothing helped.

Good news, bad news. A friend told me about Jesus Christ. He said that Jesus came to “save” people like me from the consequences of an empty, futile life. That was good news. I needed to hear that. But I also heard some bad news. I heard that I was spiritually dead. That was my biggest problem, the thing that stood in the way between me and life I was seeking. My sinful way of life had separated me from God (Isaiah 59:2). I was trying to find happiness apart from God, and it wasn't’t working. I also heard that the Bible says if I continued on this course, upon death I would be eternally separated from God in a place of torment. Things would go from bad to much worse. And considering the way I was living, it probably wasn't going to take too long to get to the "worse."

I asked my friend, “How can I be saved from all this?” My friend told me that Jesus is the solution. The Bible says that “the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23). It goes on to say in John 3:16-17, “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.”

Jesus came to help. I discovered that Jesus came into the world to help people like me, people looking for a better way. As the Bible says in 2 Corinthians 5:21, “He [God] made Him [Jesus] who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” Jesus came into the world and suffered death in my place, death on a cross. He died the death I deserved, so that if I believed in Him as the way out of my mess, I could be made “righteous,” or acceptable to God. I would no longer be an enemy of God. Instead, God would call me His friend.

All I had to do to turn my life around was accept what Jesus Christ had done for me and commit to following Him as best as I could. I understood that He wasn't looking for perfection, but a willing heart. And I understood that If I took these steps, I could exchange my sin for the righteousness of Jesus Christ. So I simply asked God to forgive me for the way I had been living, looking in all the wrong places for the life that I knew was missing. I asked Him to forgive me and make me His child.

Everything changed. I had a new outlook on life, a new perspective. I felt whole, complete, new. Life began to make sense. And as I followed Jesus and learned how much He loves me, I found that I wanted to serve Him. He responded by giving me things to do for Him and others that brought me fulfillment. Oh, I still struggle sometimes with the stuff of life. The Christian life isn't for wimps! But I’ve got a Friend that sticks with me no matter what.

Does any of this make sense? Then I suggest you go to God right now in prayer, and tell Him that you want to be His child. Ask Him to forgive you and give your life to Him. And in giving your life to Him, you’ll discover what it truly means to live.

--Pastor Mike Raether

In response to reading this, have you just committed your life to God? Please contact us and let us know, The Bible says that when someone turns to Jesus, the angels throw a party. We'd like to join your party, and help you understand all the good things God has in store for you now.

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