Dear New Faith,

     I want to start this letter by saying that too many women have been involved in a form of religious worship, but have never had a vital, growing relationship with Jesus. That includes me. For many years, instead of having a growing relationship with God, we had rules that everyone was required to follow in order to be “religious”. But that type of faith became more of a lifeless ritual, rather than a vital love relationship with Jesus.

     A single woman said, “I desired my relationship with the Lord be an adventure. One where I would find out what pleased Him and then do it, devoting as much energy to Jesus as I would in a relationship with a boyfriend. I am falling more in love with Jesus every day.” I never met that single woman, but I knew exactly what she was saying.

     The desires I had to one day have a boyfriend, get married, and have children, I knew would never fulfill me. All my girlfriends growing up had one boyfriend after another, and with every heartbreak, I saw they were seeking fulfillment in someone who couldn’t give it to them. Throughout high school, I was never interested in anyone I went to school with. Being raised at a small school, I knew way too much about all the guys there because most of them I knew in diapers and preschool. Having memories of them at young ages doesn’t help with the idea of dating and possible marriage. So, my fantasies and dreams developed as I watched cheesy, romantic movies and read stories of princes saving their true loves. I tried to find my ideal look for my future boyfriend by staring at the hot or handsome men in Google images.

Anything other than a love relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, regardless how good the thing may be, will bring you discouragement and disillusionment.”

– Jackie Kendall

     Looking back, I have to laugh, because yes, those guys may be good looking, but they aren’t real. Even models look at their own pictures and say that those images are not them. (I actually saw an interview where a model said that the picture didn’t even look like her in real life. That the way they had her stand and all the Photoshop they did completely changed her look.) Plus, an image does not show us the character or the heart of a person. Looks never define who someone really is.

     But the part of that quote that has always stuck out to me is, “I am falling more in love with Jesus every day.” Think about that for a moment. That sentence sounded so weird to me the first time I read it. How do we fall in love with Jesus? Now reread the whole quote again. “I desired that my relationship with the Lord be an adventure. One where I would find out what pleased Him and then do it, devoting as much energy to Jesus as I would in a relationship with a boyfriend. I am falling more in love with Jesus every day.” The easiest way for me to explain it simply is; devote as much time, energy and money, if needed, to Jesus as you would a boyfriend you are dating and hope one day to marry.
 
     “Wow! Ok… So that means spending time, a lot of time with Him. That means going on dates. Talking to Him about my worries, fears, dreams, desires, and hopes. Maybe that is making sure I am honest and willing to change myself to become better to make Him happy. Maybe I need to learn a few things for our future together. Or… Maybe that mean that I need to focus on Him rather than on myself. Wow… Thinking of Jesus as my boyfriend changes a lot.”

     And it will. When I started changing the way I thought about my relationship with Jesus the more I felt connected to him. I remember the first time I truly thought about him as someone that I wanted to be close with, it changed my world. I wanted to spend time with Him. I wanted to pray and read my Bible simply to be near him and hear him speak to me. I could feel the love in his words and at times it felt like he was holding me close when I needed a hug. The joy that filled my heart was something I could never explain well enough using words. I was in love.

     Looking like a Christian and acting the part that churches require is not wrong, but having that wonderful, personal relationship with Jesus that brings so much joy and peace is far better.

     Are you looking for that type of relationship with God today? Are you looking for that faith that is new and wonderful, only found in a growing friendship with Jesus? Or do you care more about pleasing the guy you are interested in currently?

     Are you willing to start your adventure with Jesus today? I hope so. It changes the way we look at our faith. Our faith becomes new again.

                                                                            Signing off,
                                                                            Tami