I realized that to
come to a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ is to pledge to
stay delighted in Him despite any situation one is in. The essence of
Christianity is not to devise one's own plans, manage one's own life outside the master plan of God and beg Him to bless them; the essence of Christianity is to be in constant
communion with the Father by prayer, by reading His word and by living out His
truths by grace through love whatever happens. It is to bask in who God is and
allow one’s self to be a channel of His work in the world. Everything else
falls secondary to what God wants so bad from us – our hearts, hearts that are generally
committed to a lifetime of surrender to Him, a lifetime of commitment to be
driven by His guidance.
When people
reject Christianity, it may be that they don't want to be intimate with this
God that appears to be unsafe because of his many surprises. The Lord is an
adventurous God indeed. He takes people to roller coaster rides, to mountain
hikes, to bungee jumping, to SCUBA diving and the like. He does not promise
safety from bruises, cuts or falls but He promises that in the end, after all
the adrenaline rush, one is eternally secure.
I cannot
emphasize it enough that the essence of being a Christian is the relationship
itself that which should go through thick and thin, for better or for worse,
for richer or poorer. Yes, like that which requires the highest commitment
mandated in Marriage. When we accept Jesus in our lives, we are married to Him
- forever and ever. And if it is easier to understand the love expected to
manifest between a husband and wife, then that is what I mean.