Christianity is not a meaningless form of religion – it’s a vibrant relationship with Jesus. It’s not a bunch of rules and regulations for you to follow - it is a growing awareness that God loves you and has an awesome plan for your life. While religion can often bring feelings of restriction and guilt, most Christians would describe their experience as the exact opposite – freedom from those feelings of confusion and restlessness. Like any relationship it requires effort and there are times when it doesn’t always work out the way that you want! But over time, you learn that God knows best and really can be trusted.
You begin to see that, with God, life does indeed work out better than we imagined it would, even though we don’t always completely understand the process. Christianity is about becoming a whole-hearted follower of Jesus Christ – a decision that has immediate and eternal benefits!
Unfortunately many people have had disappointing experiences with Christians and/or churches that have left them with a negative impression of both. It may have even put them off God entirely! They may have always looked at Christians as being hypocrites and God as being judgmental and unloving. They may have picked this attitude up from friends, family or their own life experience. The Bible urges us not to be discouraged by these disappointments – it tells us that neither people or life are perfect. We will all make mistakes and the consequences of those mistakes can cause hurt and offence. What we can promise you is that God understands your hurts, your disappointments and your frustrations. He absolutely loves you and has a purpose for your life!
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