Being A Christian - What It Means To Me

It's funny that after being a Christian for so long I still stumble over my words when anyone asks me why I am one.

I'll admit, sometimes I shy away from the label; usually when someone makes a reference to someone who is judgemental or hypocritical or looks down on them in anyway. That's not who I am, or who I want to be, or why I am a Christian.

My faith in Jesus is not an excuse I have for the questions as yet unanswered by science. My faith in Jesus is not so that I get a free-ticket into heaven.

I'm a Christian because;

1. I have taken a look at the world and all that goes on and know that there must be another way of living.
2. I admit to myself that I have little to no control over anything that happens in my life.
3. I also admit that there is a moral code somewhere within me that is not my own chosen belief system but rather one that I know is THE measure for Good.
4. I refuse to believe that I am just a number, one of many organisms, and with no unique purpose.
5. I know that no matter how hard I try, I never seem to be Good enough on my own, and so I need help to do so.
6. I refuse to believe that beauty is created by accident, and instead believe that beauty in and around us is the evidence of an intelligent mind.
7. I believe that true love exists, but it originates from a source, God.

My Christianity is first and foremost about relationship. My life and upbringing have not been perfect; so as such my faith is not a blind belief based on circumstances, rather it is one that exists despite them.

In despair and hopelessness, when I felt alone with my sadness, unwilling to burden anyone with it; I cried out to God and He heard me.

That's as simple as it is.

He told me that He loved me now, and had loved me forever, even when I wasn't living His way; not because of anything I had or had not done, but because it is His nature. (Romans 5.8)

He told He would never leave me or forsake me. (Joshua 1.5)

He told me that nothing could ever get in the way of the love He has for me. (Romans 8.39)

He told me that because He loves me so much, He sent His only begotten (not created) Son to die for me, so that I could spend eternity with Him. (John 3.16)

He provided me with a moral code and guidance system that is above all Good and Right (when done His way and with His [grace] help). (Hebrews 13.21, Philippians 1.6)

He told me that He has a unique plan and purpose for my life, and as such I do not need to worry about the day-to-day, because He has it all under control. (Jeremiah 29.11)

He told me that He created me beautifully in His likeness, and that He also created the world that we live in, and when He created it, it was perfect. (Genesis 1.27, Genesis 1.31)

He told me that He is love, and that true love is not self-seeking, or proud, but rather humbles itself in servitude, looks out for the best of others, is always forgiving, always patient, always hoping, always kind. (1 John 4.16, 1 Corinthians 13.4-7)

That's why I'm a Christian.