New Series…

Searching for Darkness

There comes a point in every Christian’s life where you look around and notice that the majority, if not all, of your close friends are Christians. Typically this is not the case when you begin following Christ but somewhere along the way one by one you probably saw your circle begin to ebb and flow releasing a few life-long friends out into the ocean of life and discovering a couple of new ones here and there. This isn’t a bad thing. It’s important that we are able to have accountability in those around us. We tend to do life with people who have the same moral standards as us and enjoy the same types of things that we enjoy. The old adage holds true…birds of a feather flock together. We also typically prefer to hang around people who aren’t looking for opportunities to poke holes in our beliefs but encourage us in our walk with the Lord and help us to become better people in general. As a Christian you probably find that you have more in common with people who are striving to follow Christ just like you. But what about being a light?

Moment in Time

Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save,     nor his ear too dull to hear. – Isaiah 59:1

Tough calls … None of us particularly enjoy them but we know that the time will come when a decision has to be made. For me one of those “tough calls” was also the easiest one to make. When I was a Freshman in college I decided to become serious about Jesus. Up until that point I considered myself a Christian but really wasn’t allowing God to take full control. I went to church on Sunday and parties on Saturday. I read my Bible and listened to Christian music but on the outside my life didn’t look any different than those around me who didn’t believe in God and to me that was a problem. So I decided to make a change and to follow Jesus with my whole heart.

I say that my decision to follow Jesus was a tough call because I knew that by saying “yes” to Him, I was saying an unspoken “no” to other things. “No” to frat parties and late night club hops. Some friendships that revolved around my weekend adventures would eventually fizzle out do to lack of commonality and I knew that my decision would be the reason for their demise. Things that had become familiar to me would soon seem strange and distant and my life as I knew it would no longer be the same. Before new life can come something must first die. It was a tough call but an easy decision to make.

This decision was easy because I knew deep down that I was meant for more. God loved me and wanted me to achieve things that could only happen when I fully committed to Him. No more in today, out tomorrow. No lukewarm. He needed my full attention. I knew that the path I was on would lead to a person I didn’t want to become. The friendships, the relationships all were destined for destruction and I could either bow out gracefully now or wake up years later wondering how I ended up in this mess. So I made a choice, one that I am so thankful for today because I can see both sides and this side is so much better. I believe that God allows us to go through things in life to give us perspective. Perspective that will help us to better relate to others in similar situations and also will give us a deeper appreciation for His love. When I look back on the Arial there in her dorm room, I see a girl who was having the time of her life but was not sure that it was the life she wanted to live. I am so thankful that God loved me enough not to leave me there.

What about you? Maybe you too can remember the moment that you decided to become serious about your relationship with God. Maybe it was a series of events that lead you to that point or a life event that forever altered your perspective on life. Take sometime to reflect on that time in your life and how different things would be had you not made that decision. If you’d like to share your experience in the comments section below, we would love to rejoice with you. Your story may be the encouragement someone needs to take that step in their own lives.

Or maybe you are at that moment now. If so, know that God loves you more than you can ever imagine. He cares about you and He is waiting for you to simply accept Him into your life and heart. Make the decision to follow Him today.

 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. – John 3:16-17