Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life,
but whoever rejects the Son will not see life,
for God’s wrath remains on him.
John 3:36
Everyone human being falls into one of two camps:
- Believer
- Non-believer
Some might say, “I haven’t rejected Jesus – I just don’t believe in Him.” But by default, refusing to accept is equivalent to rejecting Him. There is no middle ground.
Choosing not to choose is a choice in itself. And, like everything in life, choices bring consequences.
Age has a way of humbling us and providing wisdom that can only come from experience. I remember hearing a story once about a young manager in an organization seeking counsel from an older, successful manager. “What is the secret to success?” he asked. The wise older man responded, “Good decisions.” The young man nodded agreement. Then, furrowing his brow, he asked, “How do I learn to make good decisions?” The older man then answered, “Poor decisions.”
If you’ve lived more than a pair of minutes on this planet, you’ve learned that poor decisions indeed bring consequences. And, if you have a teachable spirit, those consequences prompt better decisions in the future.
But of all the decisions we make (education, career, housing, spouse, and a myriad of others), none carries a greater impact than our decision to believe Jesus. This decision alone impacts us for eternity.
Do you believe Jesus? Are you sure you believe Jesus? If there is any doubt, make that decision NOW. Do not wait!
The choice is simple, but profound. It takes but a moment, but changes eternity. Use your own words or use this prayer as a guide:
God Almighty, if you are there, if you are listening, if you are care,
I am finally ready to cry “uncle.”
I am ready to yield my life to You.
I am a mess. I have made a mess.
All my striving has come to nothing.
My motivations are rooted in pride.
I have rebelled against You.
But today is my line in the sand.
Enough.
I’m tired of trying and weary of running.
I believe you exist.
I believe You are the Son of God!
I believe the unbelievable
– that you love me and actually died for me.
You paid my bill, the debt I owe for my sin and rebellion.
Because you died for me, I want to begin now to live for you.
Help me live for you.
I’m sliding over to the passenger seat now and letting you take the wheel of my life.
Please drive.
It’s simultaneously frightening and freeing to take this step of faith and let you be in charge.
I love you, Jesus.
Today is the day.
Thank you for keeping me alive to reach this day.
Thank you for every hard thing that you have allowed into my life.
Looking back, I see now that nothing was wasted.
You used every bit of it to bring me down so I could look up to You.
Thank you for loving me.
Thank you for giving me hope and a future.
Amen.
For this next month, all of my Sunday devotionals will focus on the word, BELIEVE.
I invite each of you to write God’s Word along with me, using the free August Write the Word bookmark which provides 31 verses that all include “believe.” You can download your own copy here (along with free S.O.A.P. Bible study pages to help organize your thoughts and observations each day).
For a final recap of last month’s focus, LIFE, I hope you’ll take a moment to watch Friday’s YouTube video:
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