a hole in our heart...

As a believer in Jesus Christ, I have a burden for people who don't have a relationship with Him. He is the peace in my life, & frankly, without Him, my life is void. As I said in my last blog, I am a lover of people. I want others to know Christ. If you don't know Christ, & you are reading my blog, I hope you will stick with me. The last thing I ever want to do is "shove Christ" down someone's throat. After all, I had a choice, & that is how I believe God intended it.

What keeps people from Christ? I believe the biggest reason people shy away from Christ is to protect themselves from Christians. I am going so far as to say, "If it weren't for Christians, there would be more of them." Ghandi put it another way... He said, "I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike Christ." The truth in his statement has proven itself many times over in my life.

So what is this propaganda about "a relationship" not a religion?  I dislike the use of Christian "buzz words" that frequently serve to raise the hairs on a person's back that might not walk in this circle. They do very little to bring a person closer to Christ. So... my challenge is this: How do I talk about the essence of my heart when the very words I use can be offensive? Even the fact that I have this desire can be offensive.


fact: We are created with a hole in our heart that can only be satisfied with Christ. I believe this with all my being. Have you ever gone looking for happiness, found your treasure, & realized your happiness was only temporary? Emptiness was still lurking around the corner & waiting to reside in your heart. Perhaps you have achieved a goal, one that you thought would bring you respect, only to find that your goal was accomplished, you received your pat on the back, & the aching of your heart returned. Maybe you thought you needed more friends or a partner in life, only to find that people can't fill your needs either. They always let you down eventually. The result: relentless heartache.

So what does this "relationship" with Christ look like? Why do people keep saying it's not about religion? Religion is about rules. It's about legalism. It's about being judged by others, maybe dressing a certain way, giving up your vices, cleaning up your life, maybe even letting go of yourself (who you think you are or that image you are tirelessly trying to portray).

A "relationship" is simple. All it requires is trust, taking one step at a time, putting one foot in front of the other. It requires asking Christ to live in your heart. If your desire is for real, things will change. A journey with Christ is life changing from the inside out. Yes... as Christians, we stumble & fall. We even keep others from coming to Christ because we just can't get it right.

It says in the Bible that with the faith of a mustard seed, nothing is impossible. God can move mountains. If you have been hurt or disgusted by the Christians in your life, please realize that they are just as much a mess as you, maybe even more. As humans, we are incapable of getting it right. I believe Ghandi's observation couldn't be more accurate. However, his conclusion makes my heart ache.