Finding God

Why am I here? How do I beat this loneliness? What makes my life so hard? Where is that one special relationship? In such moments, you feel like something’s missing, something’s wrong in your world – like perhaps there’s something you haven’t done, or someone you don’t know but are supposed to. At times you feel you have found it, perhaps in a love relationship, but that feeling never seems to last. Every relationship, even good ones, leave you with this hole in your heart. Something isn’t right, but you can’t find it or fix it. So you keep looking, trying things. Click ahead to the next step to learn more.

Something isn’t complete between you and God, but you’re not sure what you’re missing. Perhaps you’ve had these thoughts: I try to live a good life. I try to be a good person. I obey the Ten Commandments (mostly). I am nice and don’t steal or kill. You’re a good person. You try to be the best you can be, try to do what’s right most of the time and try to do more good things than bad. So why do you still feel this void? You may even have tried more drastic ways of dulling your pain – sex, drinking, buying new things, going to fun places, meeting the right crowd, etc. And for all this trying, there is still something missing. So what do you try next? Click ahead to the next step to learn more.

Maybe it’s time to try God. Not “God,” the Philosophy – GOD, the living Creator of the universe. More than a concept, he’s a living being, a Deity. He’s someone who knows who you are and where you are. He’s someone who cares about you, your life, your questions. Maybe this is your time to make a connection to God that will meet your deepest need. Maybe this is your time to understand His great love for you. Click ahead to the next step to learn more.

God has a plan. What is it? Is your life hard? God said, “I’ll carry your burdens.”

 

Lonely? “I’ll never leave you.”

 

Guilt getting to you? “I’ll take it away.”

 

Life after death? “I can handle that for you. I promise.”

 

God loves you as His child, and wants you to enjoy a relationship with Him. He is the answer to your search for that ultimate relationship. He will fill the hole in your heart. He is the one Creator of the universe and all it contains, including you. You won’t be complete inside until you have a personal relationship with the God who created you. But, there’s a problem. Click ahead to the next step to learn more.

Being at peace with God is not automatic, because by nature we are separated from Him. This separation is the “something wrong” that is at the root of our selfishness, loneliness, and dark feelings. Through many immoral and amoral acts, thoughts and attitudes, we keep moving away from God, not toward Him. All of us do this, no matter how moral and upright we may seem on the surface. If you search your own heart honestly, you already know this is true. This has caused a split between us and the One who made us and loves us. This split is called sin. Not convinced? Click ahead to the next step to learn more.

It’s hard for us to admit we have sinned against God. We’d like to think His love will cause Him to ignore our short-comings. But let’s think about this from God’s perspective. By way of analogy, if you’re at the top of a cliff, it doesn’t matter if you take a small step or a flying leap off the edge. The end result is the same. So it is with our sin. Whether we have sinned a little or a lot, we have all abandoned God, and the end result is horrifically tragic. Because God is infinitely holy, the consequence of our fall is also infinite. We cannot pay the price ourselves. Without God’s help, we are doomed. We need a Saviour. Click ahead to the next step to learn more.

We’ve read what God says regarding the sin that separates us from Him. How do we find the solution? Because He loves you, God does not want this separation to remain between you and Him. But, because He is perfect, He cannot allow our sin to go unpunished. Otherwise He would cease to be perfect, which means He would cease to be God. The sin-bill must be paid. Religion and good living cannot pay it. Nothing we can do can pay for it. A bank-robber doesn’t become free from guilt just because He stops robbing banks. So it is with our sin. Nothing we can do can erase our sin record. We are stuck. We need a Saviour. Click ahead to the next step to learn more.

We cannot bridge the distance between us and God. But fortunately, God himself designed the perfect solution. He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to earth. He was both God and human. He lived a normal life, but lived it as God. Jesus loves people. He talked with them, healed them and cared unconditionally for them. He even submitted to an unjust death sentence for all of mankind. But that wasn’t the end. After three days, he rose up out of His grave. He’s alive! God saw the death of His Son Jesus as payment for your sin. Jesus took your place on a cross some two thousand years ago. That’s how God sees it. And then Jesus overcame death and actually came back to life to show His divine power. And His power over sin and death is yours – for free! Click ahead to the next step to learn more. 

Will you turn your life over to your Creator? Will you believe Jesus Christ is that one Person, that one relationship you need? Will you admit you need Him and confess your wrongdoing? Here’s how you can turn to God:

1. Admit your spiritual need. Admit you are a sinner.
2. Believe Jesus died for YOU on the cross.
3. Receive Him into your life by trusting Him to forgive you forever.
4. Repent, and be willing to turn from your sin. Here is a sample of what you might say to God: “Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner and need your forgiveness. I was made for you, but I’ve been living for me. I want to begin a relationship with you now. I believe that you died in my place, to pay the penalty for my sin, and rose again for my salvation. I need your forgiveness. I now invite you to come into my life as my Lord and Saviour.” Click ahead to the next step to learn more. 

Have you received God’s gift of forgiveness through faith in Jesus? Here is what God has done for you:

 

• You have been declared “not guilty” by God. On the cross, Jesus paid the penalty for all the things you have ever done wrong, setting you free to be forgiven by God.

 

• You have been saved from hell, both from an eternity without God as well as from the darkness we feel now from fear, despair, guilt, addiction, bitterness, etc.

 

• You have been born again. God has changed your life forever because God now lives in you. You are a brand new creation.

Click ahead to the next step learn more. 

By receiving God’s gift of forgiveness through faith in Jesus, here is what He has done for you:

• You have become a child of God. You are one of His. You are a child of the Creator of the Universe. Put your trust in Him today.

 

• You have found peace with God. This marks the beginning of a new and permanent love relationship.

 

• You have become part of the community of followers of Jesus. In addition to a new relationship with God through Jesus, you are a part of a community of other followers of Jesus. Meet them, share with them, pray with them, join with them.

Click ahead to the next step to learn more. 

Every relationship requires communication. So it is with God. We need to hear from Him, and He wants to hear from us.

 

• Read and study God’s word, the Bible, both by yourself and with others. This is how God speaks to us. The more we know and understand the Bible, the more we know who God is and what He wants for us. It might seem overwhelming at first, but with consistency and good teachers, you will quickly learn what God intends for you.

 

• Pray, talk to God daily. Learn to share your thoughts and feelings with God all through the day. Make this a habit; think of it as spiritual breathing. God is always with you, and He wants to share every moment with you. Do so. Learn to thank God for everything, even the small things. He will then show you his will for every decision you make.

Click ahead to the next step to learn more. 

Here are some other steps you can take in your new relationship with God:

 

• Be in community with others following Jesus. The difficulties of living as a Christian in a sinful world are many. It is essential that you seek other sincere, Bible-believing Christians to help you sustain your resolve. Both individual Christian friends and a solid, Bible-based Christian church are essential. God will continue working in your life through the lives of other believers.

 

• Tell someone else. Take a stand for Jesus Christ; make your life count. Someone you know needs to hear this good news about eternal life through Jesus. Tell them.

 

• Trust God for every detail of your life. He is never done loving us and guiding us. Welcome to your permanent, new life in Christ!