Would you like to know Jesus yourself? Do you want to be adopted by God, and have an intimate relationship with him? Let’s take a look at what it will mean for you and God. Here are four points to consider:
“The LORD is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him.”1 Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and heavy burdened, and I will give you rest.”2 You are safe with Jesus.
He also said, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”3 He’s talking about satisfying the hunger and thirst in a person’s heart.
Jesus also cares about your physical needs. “Look at the birds,” he explained, “They don’t plant or harvest or store in barns, for you heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you more valuable than they are?”4 If God is your father, he will provide for your needs.
Jesus’s final prayer to his Father in heaven included this: “I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one – as you are in me Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us… Father, I want these whom you have given me to be with me where I am.”5 Jesus wants us to be near him. On earth, we can be near him in heart and spirit. Someday, we will be with him in God’s new world.
If you come to Jesus, he promises that he will “never leave you or forsake you.”6 And he said, “The one who comes to me I will never cast away.” Jesus will never turn you down.7 God said that even if it was possible for a mother to forget her child, he wouldn’t forget you; he writes your name on the palms of his hands.8 He knows the number of hairs on your head!9 God has already taken the first step, and Jesus invites you to come. Will you accept his invitation?
God will help you live a new life here on earth, and afterwards, he will bring you to heaven to be with him. He said, “I know the plans I have for you. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”10
So many people think that God is mad at them! They feel that way because they’re locked down with chains from the past, and have no hope for the future. But, Jesus said he came to “proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free.”11 He loved you enough to die for you; he can break those chains!
When you ask Jesus to be your savior, you and he begin an intimate relationship, and that initiates a spiritual life inside you. Personally, I had only brokenness and hurt ahead of me (a very awful sort). But, God replaced that with waking up each morning expecting good things, knowing each day is new and bright.
If you want Jesus to be your savior, you must also submit to his authority in your life. God expects you to obey him. Does that bother you? Maybe you had an abusive father, or were treated poorly in the legal system. I remember thinking that nobody would ever tell me what to do. But eventually, I realized that my life was in shambles and I needed help.
You see, God is already Creator and King anyway, but he also wants to be your Father. And, he is a good Father. Jesus said he will guide you just like a gentle shepherd. If you submit to his authority, you will discover that he is kind, compassionate, and does everything for your good. 12 It won’t always be easy, because God wants you to grow. But, he’ll lead you in the right way.
If you want Jesus to be your Savior, and God to be your father, it is a very simple thing on your part. You just have to say, “Yes.” This means that you want God to forgive all your sin, and that you know Jesus made it possible when he died for you. You are asking him to take care of you, give you a new life on earth, and bring you to heaven someday. It also means that you choose to give God authority in your life, and that it’s your goal to live the way he wants you to (with his help). If that’s you, just tell God all about it.
If that is you, you’ve made the best decision ever! You said “Yes” to God – someone personal and alive – and, you opened the door for a new relationship. Your life won’t be the same. You might wake up tomorrow morning to the same situation as today, but now you’re not alone. Jesus is with you, and he makes a big difference wherever he goes.
Like any relationship, you will get to know God better as you spend time together. God is eager to spend time with you. Here are four suggestions of what you can do:
This is called praying, but it’s really just talking to God. Every good relationship is built on communication. You don’t have to say anything special (he already knows your heart). The Bible says to “pour out your heart to him.”13 He loves you and will listen. God will also talk to you!
Jesus said that we will learn to recognize his voice.14 When God talks to you, it isn’t an audible voice (although, I suppose God can talk that way too). He talks in your heart. How you recognize God’s voice is by the “character” of what’s being said. When God talks to you, you just KNOW what he’s saying is true. And, you will have peace about it.
Even if God’s telling you something you don’t want to hear, you will have peace in your heart. Also, you will be able to sense God’s love when he talks to you. Love is the motivation behind everything he says and does, and it will bring you joy deep inside to obey what he says, even if it’s hard. In summary, when God talks to you there will always be truth, peace, love, and joy.
Watch out, the devil tries to talk to you too! Also, the old part of you that wants to do evil can try to sway you. When either of these talk, there won’t be any truth, peace, love, or joy. Tell those voices to leave you alone in Jesus’ name; they have to leave, because of Jesus inside you.
Just remember: God will never tell you to do something that is against what he has already said in the Bible. If you get confused, just be still and wait. Faith will win out, and it will eventually become clear what God is telling you.
The second way to strengthen your relationship with God is to read the Bible. The Bible is a collection of true stories that tell of past interactions between God and people. It includes history, poetry, proverbs, prophecy, and eyewitness accounts of Jesus’ life and the early church.
The Bible has been called a “love letter” that God pieced together for you; God was behind the writing. You don’t have to start at the beginning. You can read whatever interests you. I would suggest starting with “John”. Ask God to guide you.
The Bible helps you discover God’s promises – who he is for you. When you read what Jesus said, you hear the heart of God. He will make good on his promises to you. He wants you to take him up on his word, and he will follow through for you.
Third, hang out with others who love God. You should connect with people whose lives show that they truly believe and follow Jesus (they walk the walk, and not just talk). This is important, because “If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.”15
Also, God takes care of his children by connecting them with families of believers – “he sets the solitary in families.” These families are called churches, and the Bible says it’s important that we meet up to encourage one another, learn, and praise God together.16 People aren’t perfect, so there aren’t any perfect churches. But, there should be love. Ask God to help you find a church that loves Jesus and loves people.
Fourth, ask God to give you opportunities to help people in your life. He wants to reach others through you! Jesus really loves us broken people. Ask God what difference he wants you to make in the world.
The Bible says that each of us walks out our own life and relationship with God step by step, day by day, and it’s something we need to take seriously!17 But, don’t be afraid. Jesus promised that nobody can snatch you out of his hand, and nothing can separate you from his love.18
Be sure to ask others for help if you need it. I believe that God will keep hold of you and lead you forward, just as he’s done for me. God bless you!
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1Psalm 103:13 2Matthew 11:28 3John 6:35 4Matthew 6:26 5John 17:20-24 6Hebrews 13:5 7John 6:37 8Isaiah 49:15-16 9Matthew 10:30 10Jeremiah 29:11 11Luke 4:18 12Hebrews 12:9-11 13Psalm 62:8 14John 10 15Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 16Hebrews 10:23-25 17Philippians 2:12; 2 Corinthians 3:18 18John 10:28; Romans 8:37-39