Why Do We Make it So Hard to Be Saved?
Salvation is a gift. So, why is it so hard to be saved? I have asked myself this question many times. I see so many people struggle with God’s Ultimate Gift on a daily basis because they think that it carries with it a heavy and burdensome responsibility. They also think that by accepting God into their lives, their lives will change irrevocably and they will never be the same again. And that unknown possibility scares them into looking away from the Gift and staying solidly put in their status quo existence.
The Leap
God’s very nature is Faith. He put us on this Earth with the belief that we will return, freely and willingly, to Him one day. And knowing the very nature of who we are… I only can only assume that it must take a lot of faith on His part!
Even when we are unfaithful, he remains faithful.
The Leap
God’s very nature is Faith. He put us on this Earth with the belief that we will return, freely and willingly, to Him one day. And knowing the very nature of who we are… I only can only assume that it must take a lot of faith on His part!
Even when we are unfaithful, he remains faithful. The covenants and promises He has made to us are steadfast and true regardless of our zig-zagging path toward Him.
Made in His image, we are also blessed with an aptitude for faith. Our most fundamental relationships on Earth can only blossom and thrive in its context. Faith is the necessary coinage between husbands and wives, children and parents, and any other relationship we may have, whether it’s professional or personal.
Above all faith is the grand human liberator. It eliminates doubt and paves the way for exceptional creativity and innovation. Great spiritual and entrepreneurial things happen in the nurturing environment of faith.
Bold Faith in the Workplace
The Christian blogger, David Rupert, writes, “The problem for the lifestyle follower of Christ, is that it’s not that easy to dissect a transformed life. There’s really no such thing as a private faith. If my heart is changed, so too is my passion. If my spirit is flipped, so too is my thought process. A true Christian always oozes it – the transformation cannot stay silent.”
Reading this, my question to you is, “Are you harboring a private faith or are you vocal about your regard for Christ?”
It’s a hard question to answer when we live in a world that prefers the Christian to leave his or her beliefs on the church door stoop each and every Sunday. We’re all walking the tightrope between our faith and the outside world each and every day. We’re basically holding the balance beam and wobbling back and forth between what our human resource department advises and what God expects.
Transformed
In my twenties, I was cocky salesman who traveled from port-to-port. I was good at what I did and believed the world owed me some pretty hefty favors. Then one day in walked a blond who somehow changed my life forever. Sounds like the beginning of a joke, but the joke was on me. This blond was the beginning of my own transformation.
How?
It wasn’t her faith… but her lack of faith that suddenly brought God back to mind. I saw first hand what the belief in ‘graceless god’ can do to someone and subsequently how the uncovering of the true Grace of God can absolutely free someone.
The blond is now my wife, Jaclyn. Through her, I got to witness the journey from point A to point Z. I watched as a woman wracked by fear and distrust unraveled the mystery of God’s grace and her transformation eventually became mine. I watched as she finally accepted Christ and how that leap of trust and newfound courage of faith changed every aspect of her. How she talked, how she walked, even how she thought. Grace is truly a game-changer.
Last Call?
Have you experienced a reawakening? That moment when your whole world tilts and then shifts and you realize the who’s who is not you, but rather God? It usually takes place because one day we wake up in an existential crisis and think, “What’s the point?” or “What am I going to do with the rest of my life?”
When this happens, most of us feel a sense of hopelessness and helplessness. We’re lost in this great big world trying to scrape together some semblance of meaning.
At this point, we have really, two directions to go. Toward God or toward death. I believe that this second journey is precipitated by the call of Jesus. He is whispering our names, trying to herd us back onto the right path. However there are several, common obstacles that get in the way. They are often a crisis in faith, hope, and love.
Who is the Author of Your Story?
I love self-help books. Give me a motivational book, chalk-full of usable, transformational information and you have me hooked for the next few hours. Give me a fiction book and I’m snoozing in ten minutes. That being said, although I believe these books are helpful, I also believe they do us a disservice too. Why? […]
Take the Leap
God’s very nature is Faith. He put us on this Earth with the belief that we will return, freely and willingly, to Him one day. And knowing the very nature of who we are… I only can only assume that it must take a lot of faith on His part! Even when we are unfaithful, […]
Fear and Faith Don’t Mix
The stock market fell… Coronavirus is taking over… Unemployment is shocking… Our country is in debt… I could go on and on, but it wouldn’t do anyone any good if I did. In fact, it would do more harm. Yet, that’s exactly what the media is doing every day. You turn on the T.V. and […]
Need a Rest from Religion?
Are you in need of a rest from religion? I know coming from an ordained minister that question may seem a little strange, but for many people, the “religion” part of our faith is borderline tiresome and sometimes unfulfilling. Why? Because often, the religion part demands that we keep jumping through a set of established […]