“For God so loved the world He gave His one and only son that who ever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
John 3:16
I remember the day I read these words for the first time, like it was yesterday.
I was never really interested in God, and I definitely wasn’t down for religion…
1st: I thought God was some far away, untouchable being…and very judgmental. I didn’t like to think about Him… I guess He scared me, and I knew I wasn’t anywhere close to someone He would let come near… ( But in my mind… how rude! lol)
2nd: I never understood who Jesus was… Were God and Jesus the the same guy?
3rd: Heaven seemed way too confusing… Why would God send anyone to a place called hell, when He had the way of Heaven? Why was God so dark, mean and judgmental, and why would a God that I had heard so called, “Christians” talk about, not care about everyone?
NO THANKS…
But that day, a friend who was far from perfect, seemed different… She always had a glow in her heart no matter what she was going through.. . (and at that time she was going through something horrible!) Told me she had hope…
She believed in God… and God was her hope…
It was simply put… and her words somehow eased my own heart…
She asked me if I had a Bible, and when I said I think so… She told me to open it to
John 3:16
She told me to just close my eyes and pray… to ask God if He’s real, would he come into my heart and cleanse me with new eyes and a new heart, that I might see Him, and know Him..
It wasn’t that I thought I was this horrible person, cause that wasn’t it… it was that my heart felt hard … a little dark, and love wasn’t a word I truly understood…
I went home, found that old Bible… opened it…
I still remember the sound of the thin pages crinkling as I searched for John 3:16
I read each word carefully, slowly like 10 times, I truly wanted to understand …
When I got to the end of John 3:16… the next verse said…
“For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him”
John 3:17
What???? God sent His son… so that’s who Jesus was. And God wanted to save the world??? Whattt??
I deeply wanted to know more…
So I very awkwardly got on my knees by the side of my bed… and asked God if he were real? I told Him I needed this hope… that I was sorry for so many things, that my heart felt empty… sad… and if He wold come into my heart that would be great…
I met God for the very first time that day! I learned quickly that religion plays no part in God’s heart…
He was all about a personal relationship. He wants to invade our hearts with His unconditional hope… love and forgiveness … He softens and cleanses… He gives us life abundant, and fills our deepest desires with love overflowing…
Religion is about that church or denomination…
God is about His people… He sent Jesus to break through the barriers of the pharisees and their religious customs…
The Bible is chalked full of amazing stories of God’s love cutting through the darkness of religion and the politics of life…
God is for us…
If you don’t know Him, I pray you would give Him a chance…
The thrill of hope will forever change You…
Live in Love,
Lisa