Before I begin, I want to thank you all for taking this journey with me. Over the past year, I have learned so much and am excited for what’s to come. There may be times when I can’t help but wonder if my words are reaching anyone. However, I know that this is a journey God sent me on. I also know that His word does not come back to Him empty. Therefore, I will continue with high spirits, fully knowing that God is by my side.

“The Lord is on my side; I will not fear…” – Psalm 118: 6

            Recently something was brought to my attention. I know that I speak a lot about God’s love and grace. About how important it is to grow closer to Him and to give your life to Him. Well, last night I was watching a TV show that I used to watch as a kid and something stood out to me. In the episode I was watching, a young couple was arguing about going to church. The young man didn’t want to go because when he was a kid his mother ran off with a bishop from his church and she abandoned her family. The young man felt that people who go to church were hypocrites and he didn’t want to associate himself with those kinds of people. This made me realize that a lot of people tend to think that once you become a “Christian” that your work is done. Since you have the title of “Christian”, you are better than those who are not Christians. That is not how things work.

            First of all, going to church and being active in their activities is not what saves you. Only Jesus can save you. When you give your life to Him and repent of your sins, He washes your sins away and makes you new. This, of course, does not mean you are perfect. You are still human. You WILL still mess up. However, God is merciful to forgive if you come to Him in true repentance when you do mess up. Jesus didn’t come to find those who were perfect, but to save those who are not.

“Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” When Jesus heard that, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” – Matthew 9:10-13

            Second of all, even if we try all of our lives, we will never reach perfection. Jesus was and is the only perfect person. He is God incarnated. As humans, we have a sinful nature. No one can say they are perfect and without sin because that would be a lie. God knows that we are imperfect beings and yet He still loves us. Those people who go to church with you are not perfect either. Yet, God gave His life for them too. God commands us to love each other as He loves us. It is not our job to be Jesus, but to be like Him.

“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.” – 1 John 1:8-10

            Lastly, just because we are saved does not mean that our work is done. The Bible calls our journey a race. At the end of a race, there is a prize for the winners. As a Christ-follower, our prize is eternity with Jesus. That means that our entire life is the race. So, even after we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior, we still need to keep working at our relationship with Him. We do that by reading His word, sharing His word with others, worshipping Him, praying, and being in fellowship with other believers. Jesus never said the journey would be easy, but He promised us that it would be easier with Him by your side.

“I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Jesus Christ.” – Phillipians 3:14

            Therefore, don’t be discouraged. God doesn’t expect us to be perfect. So, if you mess up, ask for forgiveness and it will be given to you. If someone else hurts you, whether they be a believer or not, forgive them. Continually seek God. Seek Him and He will provide everything you need. Remember, run the race towards the goal to win the prize.   

“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed,” – Romans 3:23-25