Yes, there definitely are people out there who believe in a creator because they’ve been told that by an authority figure and they’ve yet to explore the idea independently.
I confess to feeling sorry for those folks.
Thankfully, that isn’t my story. And it doesn’t have to be your story, either.
I was raised in a nominally Christian home where we attended church weekly and that was it. I can’t recall any spiritual conversations at home, nor do I remember a single time when a Bible was cracked open. So it’s hardly surprising that when we became teenagers and were offered the choice of whether or not to continue attending church, we all immediately declined.
While the rest of my family never became followers of Jesus of Nazareth (who many people believe is the Son of God), something stuck with me. God, seeing the opening in my heart and mind, stuck with me.
Like many spiritual people, I read up on various faiths, had conversations with brave people and checked out the claims made by Jesus about Himself, His Father and this universe. In other words, I started thinking for myself.
Today, I’m a very, VERY imperfect (just ask my wife) Jesus follower and making that decision back in 2004 changed the direction of my life — from my career path (I finished my working life working for organizations that tell people about Jesus) to the woman I married, to creating this blog back in 2012.
So why did I do this? It certainly hasn’t made family relations easier, but that hasn’t surprised me. Jesus told anyone willing to listen that following Him would create a divide with those who ignore Him and obey (if subconsciously) the directives of our culture.
I became a Jesus follower because I needed to make sense of me — my mental and emotional struggles — and I needed to make sense of this world that even the most optimistic person must admit is not doing well. This decision has helped me to do so — and knowing there’s a creator who LOVES me (and YOU) has given me a quiet joy that life’s inevitable setbacks cannot destroy.
There are many other people, including esteemed scientists who have definitely thought for themselves and have made Jesus of Nazareth their Lord, Saviour and best friend. Without shame or apology. Here’s what I wrote about just two of them: https://wp.me/p2wzRb-3o.
So, is this a good time for YOU to think for yourself and explore who this Jesus guy is and, maybe, decide if He’s the Way, the Truth, the Life? Yes or no, type your thoughts below and let’s have a conversation.
Frank's Cottage 