Bad habits kill faith …

Before being fully aware of the unconditional love JESUS CHRIST has for me and the huge heritage He has prepared for me, I was fallen into religiosity, it means that I just did things by habit without asking any questions, I prayed because they told me to, I went to church because they told me to …

"Wrong way, buddy"

For me, Sunday was just a day to go to church and to talk to GOD. During the other days of the week, I lived my life as I Iiked, with all my cravings and desires.  I did what I wanted, when I wanted, where I wanted, with whom I wanted while thinking that I was going to inherit the Kingdom of Heaven because I came to church every Sunday and I was convinced I was a good person who tried to be caring and kind with people.

.. But I was COMPLETELY WRONG !!  because living this way made me consider GOD as a "spare wheel". I  only called Him when I had very serious problems. 

I could say that I loved Him with "sincere" love, but I had no sincere PASSION. 

" A wrong way ? WHY NOT?"

I left my beloved country to pursue my studies in a foreign one, and I started to feel lonely, to ask myself probing questions, and to feel an inner emptiness. I came to a point where I wanted to fill this void with "worldly" things, to do like all the young people of my age, have fun in the world, going out and engage myself in unclean practices ..  Yes, you may say there's nothing wrong about doing all these but my question is: Are these things going to fill the inner emptiness you feel? I tried and my answer is NOPE.

" SINCE YOU HAVE BEEN PRECIOUS AND HONORED IN MY SIGHT, AND I HAVE LOVED YOU" Isaiah 43:4

GOD has been so good to me, He loves me so much, because on the moment I was fed up with everything, I was on my way to follow the "mental rebel road", but I made an encounter with the love of God that changed me forever.

I will always remember these times my cousins invited me to go to church with them. During this period of my life, I was in my "mental rebel phasis" and I found it so funny that I planned to do something else on the following dates but found myself in church instead …  SURPRISE SURPRISE, little by little, God started to open my eyes and what happened was undescribable. 

Truth is that when I was born, I didn't breathe nor scream due to complications. Actually, even the doctor tried to bring me to life but I didn't respond. It was only a few moment after, when he isolated me and tried to do his things that I came back to life. It made me think that God could have left me die, but He didn't because He has a plan for me. 

" .. Himself giving to all life and breath and all things " Acts17:25

I cried my eyes out when I realized this deep love He was always giving even during the times I didn't deserve it at all. Actually, my lifestyle was unhealthy and I was aware that I worth more than all the slavery mentality that chained me. I'm hundred per cent sure that with my own strength, I would just be tired and I would always fail, but God so loved me that He wanted to save me, He wanted to change me. Never felt a love like this. I've never felt this much peace in my heart, peace that no money can buy. 

I wanted to give Him my life because He gave me His.

The cost of a life is a life.

" So if any one is in Christ, he a new creation; the old things have passed away; behold all things have become new "  2Cor 5:17

THE MIRACLE of new creation !

Since I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Saviour, I was changed because no one can meet Him and stay the same. It's only by His grace that worldly things became tasteless in my eyes. I wanted a new start, I wanted to begin again because He truly has changed me.  He changed my heart, because I finally got to forgive the people that hurt me, to proclaim good words about my life ( because we are what we say ) and see things in a new way, with another greater vision. I was reassured about my eternity and my future. I had another level of peace that I can't even explain.

ANOTHER GIFT .. ONE IDENTITY !!

In addition to the works and changes God has started to do in my heart, l will always be grateful about the IDENTITY He has given me, because people used to tell me things that often hurt me, offended me or made me lose my confidence… Yes, what they say may be REAL, but aren' true. TRUTH is what God says.  

" Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John8:32

The Bible says that He made me in His image and I believe in everything He says. What He says is that I am an Ambassador of Christ on earth, a SON of the living God, a representative of the Kingdom of Heaven on earth, a co-heir with Jesus Christ. By His grace I have an immense heritage, surpassing all intelligence and incorruptible that awaited me and that I will be able to manifest from my earthly life. I am on earth for a purpose because the Lord our God has done everything for one purpose and no matter what's happening now, my life is secure in His hands.

" However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me – the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace." Acts 20:24 

DO YOU WANT A NEW START ?

God has set before you life and death but He advises you to choose life. Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the life. Invite Him, JESUS alone can fill any void. Follow Him and you will see His manifesting glory in your life, you will see your life changed, you will feel a perfect joy and He will send an abundant rain of peace, truth and blessings into your life. The fighting will certainly exist but you will fight no longer for the victory but IN VICTORY because in Christ, you are already more than conqueror !

Being a young Christian does not mean having a boring life, being cut off from the world and not being free, for in Christ alone is the TRUE freedom. One may well be young, free, have fun, sing, dance IN THE LORD.

" Taste and see that the Lord is good ..  " Ps 34 :9

Stay blessed !