I took a world religion class in college and was blown at how many beliefs there are. Think of something and if people love or worship it, it can be classified as their religion.
I of course took this class as a Christian, but my hunger for knowledge and understanding of what people choose and why led me to not only take the class but be fully engaged in it. Though Christians still make up a major world religion, we are far from the only powerful one out there. Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, LDS, and America’s favorite: Polytheism (the love of many gods) are found everywhere, not just in its founding country.
Let me start by saying that I am not a Christian because I was raised one but that may be how I started.
I had my moment on my dorm room floor with Christ where I learned that all those years (childhood to age 21) believing in the Jesus of my church and the Jesus of my family meant that I didn’t know Jesus on my own.
I will detail in a longer post about how Christ came to be real to me…but I can summarize it best like this…
When I tried a god or two, and the most tempting god of all, the god of Self..none of them compared to Christ. None. Not one.
After that moment in my dorm, I began to get to know Jesus in an intimate way that I didn’t know I was lacking.
I began to learn His character, His ideas, His culture, His kindness, His fire, His comfort, and His beauty. I know for a fact that many of us claim to love Jesus but don’t get to know Who He really is.
Getting to know Him…through the Scriptures, through relationship, through His church and strangers…through prayer and quiet time…I began to know a Savior like no other.
Why Jesus? Because when all the other gods failed me, it was Him Who remained. I chose His love; a love that first chose me.
I now have a King and friend Who is more valuable to me than anyone in my life.
I love Him. In the words of my culture, “We go together real bad.”
“Lord Jesus, You are life and all life comes from You. Thank You for letting me know You; thank You for knowing me.”