Demands of a Youth

I was rescued from a horrible life of drugs, alcoholism, and crime at the age of 7. I’m sure that that is the direction my life would have headed were it not for my parents and grandmother who told me about Jesus. I know this, because through my teen years I was very intrigued by, and attracted to anything extreme.

Always in the back of my mind, however, was this ominous sense of evil; I had to fight against a force that was trying to take me from what I knew deep down in my heart to be truth. I’m so grateful that there was always something (or should I say Someone) holding me back from going too far and giving in to denying the principles and morals I had been raised with. At the age of 18 I finally comitted my life to what I knew to be true.

I knew that I was not a good person, and that at the core of my life was this tendency towards doing what I knew to be wrong, and to that which I knew to be harmful for myself. At this stage of my life, though, I wasn’t quite sure about God. What I was doing was basically questioning God’s very existence. It was late one night when I decided that this was it. It was time to have a show-down with God, if indeed there really was a God. I remember the setting like it was yesterday. I was standing in my bedroom at the foot of the bed. With all the sincerity that I could muster up I spoke these words: "God, I don’t even know if you’re real, so I don’t really know if I’m even talking to anyone. But if there is a God, and you’re listening, you need to show yourself to me right now, or else I’m turning my back on Christianity and all that it stands for, and never looking back." I had barely gotten these words out of my mouth when I heard a command. It was so real to me that I’m sure it was audible, but I’m not totally certain. The voice said: "Turn around!" This took me so much by surprise that in one motion I turned and my eyes fixed on the caption of a poster I had bought only weeks before. I bought it because I thought the picture was cool, but hadn’t really noticed the caption at the bottom. It read: "Be still and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10".

This is all it took for God to get my attention. I closed my eyes and told God that I believed He was real and that I needed Him to take control of my life. I told Him that I was sorry for my doubts about Him, and all of the wrong I had done, and that I wanted Him to take control of my life. I can’t explain the peace that came over me. I just knew I was forgiven. From having read the Bible, I knew that only with developing a relationship with God could I be free from the struggle going on within. I was still imperfect me, and not some super human. The difference now was that I had someone to go to in my weakness. Having a moment by moment relationship with Jesus is being at peace with God, and finding freedom in life.

I have now walked with Jesus for over 26 years. This means simply that He is my Lord, my best friend, and the one I count on for my daily decision making. He is also the reason why I am looking forward to Heaven when I die. This is a guarantee I have from reading His Word, which is the Bible.

I love Jesus, and He loves me. I am also thrilled to be a part of a very large community of people that call themselves Christians. Being an active part of this family also helps me live life to the fullest.

I have discovered Jesus’ words to be so true when he said: "I have come to bring life, and to the full."

Take a look at your life. How would you describe it? Contented? Rushed? Exciting? Stressful? Moving forward? Holding back? For many of us it’s all of the above at times. There are things we dream of doing one day, there are things we wish we could forget. In the Bible, it says that Jesus came to make all things new. What would your life look like if you could start over with a clean slate?

Living with hope If you are looking for peace, there is a way to balance your life. No one can be perfect, or have a perfect life. But every one of us has the opportunity to experience perfect grace through a personal relationship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ. You can receive Christ right now by faith through prayer. Praying is simply talking to God. God knows your heart and is not so concerned with your words as He is with the attitude of your heart. Here’s a suggested prayer:

Lord Jesus, I want to know you personally. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life to you and ask you to come in as my Savior and Lord. Take control of my life. Thank you for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Make me the kind of person you want me to be.

Does this prayer express the desire of your heart? You can pray it right now, and Jesus Christ will come into your life, just as He promised.

Is this the life for you?

If you invited Christ into your life, thank God often that He is in your life, that He will never leave you and that you have eternal life. As you learn more about your relationship with God, and how much He loves you, you’ll experience life to the fullest.

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