I Could Never Become A Christian Because It's Simply Too Hard

I remember thinking that. I couldn’t stand all the rules; all the stuff that I wouldn’t be able to do if I became a Christian. Then I realised that all the stuff that God said I shouldn’t do was the very stuff that was ruining my life. While being a Christian might appear to be hard, not following Jesus is way, way harder. I have a post from 2006 called "Christianity is all about what you can’t do. It takes away all your freedom," that talks about it in more detail. Bottom line > the "do this and don’t do that" stuff in the Bible is there to bring us peace and freedom, not hardship.

Because He loves us, Jesus said, "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on life, relationships and all that? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me - watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly." Matthew 11:28-30.

It is so very good to not have to make life destroying mistakes any more. Obeying Jesus / God brings wonderful, glorious freedom to life. 1st John 5:4,5 says, "The proof that we love God comes when we keep his commandments and they are not at all troublesome or burdensome. The conquering power that brings the world to its knees is our faith. The person who wins out over the world's ways is simply the one who believes Jesus is the Son of God. (The Message).

Did you get that? While being a follower of Jesus will certainly bring more challenges to your life than you ever dreamed possible, being a Christian isn’t nearly as hard as NOT being a Christian. Psalm 19 says in part, The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the Lord are sure and altogether righteous. By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward." The person who wrote those words was speaking from experience, and I can attest to the truth of those words also. There is nothing onerous about giving one’s life completely to Jesus.

No body is so good that they don’t need forgiveness from God. No body is so bad that they cannot receive forgiveness from God upon repentance.