Why do people become Christians? Everyone has their own story and their own journey. Some people have had complicated lives or have battled some type of addiction. They get to the end of their proverbial rope, and they feel like they have nowhere to turn, so they turn to Jesus. Many of them will pray prayers that say things like, “Jesus, if you’re real…” Others feel depressed and hopeless and turn to God because they feel like it’s their only answer. What about people who have led seemingly average everyday lives who become Christians? Why do they choose Christianity?
My Story...
For the most part, I can only tell my own story. I don’t have a tale of abuse, addiction, or utter hopelessness. I grew up in middle-class suburbia with good parents. We weren’t a church-going family, but I’ve had an unexplained knowledge of God since I was little. My mom is from Europe and was raised Catholic, but she also had an unexplained knowledge of God. My father is an American who was raised Methodist. My life was pretty average.
To be really honest, my initial reason for becoming a Christian was to get into heaven. And very often, when people talk to you about Christianity, that’s the angle they will give you. Where are you going to go when you die? I was about ten when I made that decision, and I lived in a very spiritual house, despite our lack of church attendance. My mom was the go-to person if you needed prayer – and she got answers!
Forget About Death, What About Life?
But the bigger question is not where you are going when you die, but what you are going to do while you live? What about plan, purpose, structure, and, dare I say, rules? My initial reason for becoming a Christian had to do with life after death, but no one spent much time teaching me how to live the abundant life that Christianity has to offer. I’m not sure many churches teach it either. What happened after I made that commitment to Christianity? Not much. I had seen many stories of people who had a fantastic experience when they accepted Jesus, and I didn’t have that. I never felt the presence of God that I was aware of. I wanted all those things, but I had no idea how to get them. I had made my choice but couldn’t find my way. My life continued through middle school, high school, and college. I could not figure out what was missing in the Christian experience. And while I didn’t think it had a significant impact on my life, it did in many ways. I didn’t realize it, but it kept me a bit more on the straight and narrow than some of my counterparts. It wasn’t always the case, and I did what I wanted to do because I didn’t know what else to do.
When I was twenty-three, I met the man whom I would marry. And while we were dating, I asked him about his thoughts on Christianity. He had grown up in a Catholic house, and he thought he knew what Christianity was. However, he had some ideas that contradicted the Bible. He had never read it and assumed the church was telling him the truth. This is not to pick on Catholicism; a lot of churches will tell you what they think is the truth when, in fact, it is not. We all need to read the Bible for ourselves. As he began reading, he realized some things weren’t lining up for him. So together, we embarked on our journey. We discovered that there were many things the Bible instructed us to do that we were not doing. What is that abundant life they talk about, and where is it? Is it money? Is it happiness? And most importantly, what am I doing here on planet earth?
What About Plans?
Are you aware that God has a plan and purpose for your life? I wasn’t. No one ever told me that. When I entered my early 20s, I began to realize that there must be something more to life. Although I had read parts of the Bible before, I returned to it. As time passed, I realized that God had a purpose for me on this earth. The following few blogs will discuss what I was looking for, how I found it, and how I will never regret the choice I made. It’s a great way to live, even if it’s not always popular in social circles or with the world we live in.
Until next time under the palm, be blessed!
