It saddens me to think of all the people, even many Christians, who feel like a life led by Christ is "No Fun." So many people feel that Christianity is about rules and regulations. There is an image of God, looking down from Heaven, with a pencil and eraser and the book of life, just waiting for us to mess up so He can punish us. I don't even understand how people live like this! "God is love." Why would we imagine Him as a cruel being who created us just to see if we could "walk the line?" He created us to have a relationship with us. That is what it is all about! A relationship with Christ!! Yes, there are guidelines for how we need to live our lives, but isn't that true in any relationship? It is the same way that we try to honor the people in our lives that we love. We (most of us) strive to treat our relationship with our spouses with care, for instance. We try not to cheat on, lie to, hurt, neglect, etc our spouses because we cherish the relationship we have with them. Obviously, we all fall short here and there, but in a healthy, solid relationship there is forgiveness and grace. God loves us so much more than any human can love us!! While there are some things a spouse may not be able to live with or forgive, God can. He knew every transgression I would make against Him as His son was being nailed to the cross. Jesus already paid the penance for my "mess ups." While some people may feel that choosing to follow Christ would just be too restricting, I've found it to be the most freeing thing I've ever known. God expects me to "TRY." He never expects me to be perfect and He never expects me to rely on my own strength to make it through. He is not up in Heaven, looking down. He is right beside me, in the trenches, supplying me with his supernatural power and peace. Life can be hard!! But, I know that this isn't "it." I am passing through on this Earth. And, while I'm here, I plan to make the best of it! I want to enjoy my life and have fun and I am free to do that! God wants that for me, in fact. I've tasted what the world has to offer, and it was fun... at first. But, it didn't take long for it to feel empty and cold. I look at my children and think of the immense, unconditional love I feel for them and it amazes me to think that God loves each and every one of us unimaginably more than that! From the "greatest" of us, right down to the murderers and child molesters, he genuinely loves us all. (My human brain can't fathom that kind of love!) Nothing I do could ever make Him love me less!!! I didn't "DO" anything to become a Christian. Christ already did that for me when He was nailed to the cross. All I did was pray and invite Him to come in to my life. I opened the door for the relationship He so wanted with me. And, I fall short every single day! But, it's okay! God already knew the mistakes I would make today and He chose to love me anyway and forgive it all. I know this, for sure:
For I am certain that nothing can separate us from his love; neither death nor life, neither angels nor other heavenly rulers or powers, neither the present nor the future, neither the world above nor the world below – there is nothing in all creation that will ever be able to separate us from the love of God which is ours through Christ Jesus our Lord. -Romans 8:38-39 (Good News Bible)
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