This morning I heard from a man who started a youth outreach program after he felt Jesus saved him. After his saving experience he dedicated his life to Jesus.
I don’t know if I believe in Jesus. I want to believe in Jesus because that’s what I was raised to do. So there is a part of my childhood that I want to hold on to, to believe was right, to not have wasted all that energy and time and belief. Can you waste belief?
And now I look at this man and realize his belief is not wasted…regardless if he is right.
He believes. And that belief pushes him to be a better person. That much is unarguable. He is a better person now than he was before he was saved.
I wonder if this is different than when I want to make someone proud of me, even though they aren’t there to see me. “They would be proud of me” or “I want to make them proud” or “I want to be the person they think I am” when they are never, in fact, going to see me fulfill that imaginary dream.
I believe in the influence. When my father is gone, I believe I’ll do things because I think he would be proud of me. And that is one of the ways I hold on to him – even though he is not there. I want him to be there. I want him to be proud of me. Whether he is there or not.
So when my father passes away, is it silly for me to believe in him? Is it silly for me to do things to please him, or make him proud?
And if this man believes in Jesus, and acts differently because he believes that is what Jesus wants him to do, and he believes Jesus saved him. Is it not true? Did Jesus save him? He did.