God created YOU to be in relationship with HIM. Following Jesus and knowing Him is not about an impossible to do list OR having a life that is free of anything difficult or messy. God loves you exactly where you are - but He won't leave you there if you choose to follow Him. The birth of Christ and His death on the cross show us clearly how much God was willing to do to have a close relationship with each of us. The Bible is full of references to how deep and wide our Father's love for us actually is. John 3:16 says, “God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son so that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” God is for us. He wants to walk with us through everything life throws at us. You are not disqualified from God's love because of your history, mistakes, or weaknesses. Every one of us has been separated from God by sin. We can never make up for that on our own, no matter how "good" we might be. Good work, good attitudes, good psychology - none of it will get rid of the mark of sin. But Jesus told us clearly, "I am the way, the truth, & the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." We can walk in relationship with God, the creator of the universe, by accepting the FREE GIFT of GRACE that Jesus offers. The Bible tells us that nothing in all of creation can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. We can accept God's love. If we believe that Jesus is who He said he is and we choose to make HIM Lord of our life, we can know that we have the privilege of walking with Him both now and in eternity. Only the power of Jesus can free us from guilt, shame, and condemnation to give us a life of wholeness, freedom, & joy that this world cannot offer. All we have to do is trust Him, turn toward Him, & accept the truth of who He is. He will not leave us unchanged. Want to talk to more about this with someone? Click below!