Ever felt that something was missing in your life?

“I feel a void inside. There’s something missing. I don’t think there’s anyone who feels like there isn’t something missing in life. No matter how much you accomplish, how much money you make, how many cars or houses you have, or how many people you make happy, life isn’t perfect for anybody.” Eddie Murphy, actor.

“I’m aware that I’m fortunate to live in this house and to do what I’ve always wanted to do, and be one of the few who got a record deal. But by the same token, I’m not more happy or content with my life than I was 10 years ago. I got everything I wanted in life, except I really don’t have a life now. I don’t have any real friends or relationships that mean anything to me.” Musician Trent Resner, of the band 9 Inch Nails.

Dennis Rodman, basketball bad-boy, starred in a special on MTV, which featured exotic locals beautiful women and fast cars. A reporter asked him about his life: “It’s all right, I’m still climbing, I want to try everything, do everything.” Then the interviewer said, What’s missing? “Fulfillment, I still haven’t found what fulfillment yet.”

The Bible says that our hearts are restless until they find their rest in God.

“A car is made to run on petrol (gasoline), and it would not run properly on anything else. Now God designed the human machine to run on himself. He himself is the fuel our spirits were designed to burn, or the food our spirits were designed to feed on. There is no other. That is why it is just no good asking God to make us happy in our own way without bothering about religion. God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing.” (C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity)

So if we really were designed to live in relationship with God, what’s keeping us from it?

Common Excuses

“I have no need of God.”

When people say this, they usually mean they are quite happy without God. What they fail to realize is that our greatest need is not “happiness”, but “forgiveness”. It takes a very proud person to say he or she has no need of forgiveness.

You see, we all need to be forgiven, because we have all messed up. We have all sinned, and missed the standards set by God. Without forgiveness, we are in serious trouble. For God is not only our loving father, He is also a righteous judge.

Either we accept what Jesus has done for us by dying on the cross in our place, or else one day we will pay the penalty ourselves for the things we have done wrong . . . eternal separation from God.

“There is too much to give up!”

Sometimes God puts His finger on something in our lives that we know is wrong and that we would need to give up if we want to enjoy this relationship with God through Jesus.

But we need to remember:

God loves us. He only asks us to give up things that do us harm. If my children were playing with a carving knife, I would tell them to stop – not because I want to ruin their fun, but because I don’t want them to get hurt.

What we give up is nothing compared to what we receive. The cost of not becoming a Christian is far greater than the cost of becoming a Christian.

What we give up is nothing compared to what Jesus gave up for us when He died on the cross for us.

“There must be a catch.”

Sometimes people find it hard to accept that there is anything that is free in this life. They think it all sounds too easy. Therefore, they think there must be some hidden trap or catch. However, what they fail to realize is that, although it is free for us, it was not free for Jesus. He paid dearly for it with His own blood. It is easy for us, but it was not easy for Him.

“I’m not good enough.”

None of us is good enough. Nor can we ever make ourselves good enough for God. But that is why Jesus came. He made it possible for God to accept us just as we are, whatever we have done, and however much of a mess we have made of our lives.

“I could never keep it up.”

We are right to think we could never keep it up – we cannot, by ourselves. But the Spirit of God, who comes to live within us, gives us the power and the perseverance to keep going as Christians.

“I’ll do it later.”

This is perhaps the most common excuse. Sometimes people say, “I know it’s true – but I’m not ready.” They put it off. The longer we put it off, the harder it becomes and the more we miss out. We never know whether or not we will get another opportunity. Many people who come to Christ later in life are most upset that they didn’t find Him earlier.

What do I have to do?

The Bible makes it clear that we have to do something to accept the gift that God offers. This is an act of faith. The disciple John writes, “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

Believing involves an act of faith, based on all that we know about Jesus. It is not blind faith. It is putting our trust in a Person. In some ways it is like the step of faith taken by a bride and a bridegroom when they say “I will” on their wedding day.

The key is three things: Sorry . . . Thank you . . . Please

“Sorry”

You have to ask God to forgive you for all the things you have done wrong and turn from everything that you know is wrong in your life. That is what the Bible means by “repentance”.

“Thank you”

You believe that Jesus died for you on the cross. You need to thank Him for dying for you and for the offer of His free gifts of forgiveness, freedom, and His Spirit.

“Please”

God never forces His way into our lives. You need to accept His gift and invite Him to come and live within you by His Spirit.

If you would like to have a relationship with God and you are ready to say these three things, then here is a very simple prayer you can pray that will be the start of that relationship:

Dear God

I am sorry for the things I have done wrong in my life. Please forgive me. I now turn from everything that I know is wrong.

Thank you that Jesus died on the cross for me so that I could be forgiven and set free.

Please come into my life by Your Holy Spirit, to be with me forever.

Thank you Jesus. Amen.

Now What?

If you have prayed this prayer, it is important to tell someone! Tell a friend, a family member, call us at (306) 586-0101 or contact us by e-mail.

Once you have received Jesus and put our trust in Him, we become children of God (John 1:12). He is our Heavenly Father, and like any Father, He wants us to have a close relationship with Him. We develop this relationship as we listen to Him (primarily through the Bible), and as we speak to Him in prayer.

The Bible is the Word of God, and you might find it helpful to begin by reading a few verses of John’s Gospel (the fourth book in the New Testament) every day. Ask God to speak to you as you read. If you don’t have a Bible, we’d love to give you one. Just drop the church and ask.

Start to speak to God each day in prayer. The following guidelines may be helpful.

A doration – Praising God for who He is and what He has done.

C onfession – Asking God’s forgiveness for anything we have done wrong.

T hanksgiving – Thanking God for His blessings, such as health, family, friends, etc.

S upplication – Praying for ourselves, for our friends and for others.

We also encourage you to get connected to a great, Bible-teaching church . . . like this one! Church is essentially a gathering of Christians who get together to worship God, to hear what God is saying to them, to encourage one another, and to make friends. It is a very exciting place to be!

It was at July of 1980 that I first prayed this prayer and started my journey with God. Will today be the day for you?

(Content courtesy of “Why Jesus?” by Nicky Gumbel, David C. Cook Publishing, 1991.)

For more information, please visit Power to Change.