I’m pretty open about my faith. People who know me know I’m a Christian. They know that I believe Jesus is real and He saves. They know I attend church (not that that makes you a Christian, but it’s often part of the package) and they probably know I read my Bible. Don’t worry, I won’t knock on your front door and say repent or you are going to hell. The Jesus I know didn’t do that to me – He found me in gentle ways and He offered love to me without an agenda.
What I like is when two people can talk about faith without attacking each other, from a place of “I want to understand why you believe what you do and why you live your life that way,” as opposed to another way. When you ask someone questions you show them you respect what they have to say and are interested in them. People who ask lots of questions are usually more open-minded and kinder and have a greater understanding of situations. I like to question people.
It’s important that we ask others questions and it’s important we ask ourselves questions about our faith. For some reason people are scared of faith; they are scared of offending someone and scared about talking about “deep things.” I’m not sure why – we are all humans trying to figure it out. I may get closer to my answer if I am able to hear yours. Can we talk to each other about this today? Just imagine I am a friend; we are seated at a little cafe with a plate of hot chips and tomato sauce between us. We talk and eat chips at the same time. We order milkshakes. We ask questions. I’ll start…
1. Do you believe in a greater being or something supernatural?
I’ve always believed in God. I feel like I know Him. He is there by my side when things go wrong and I can talk to Him. I can’t imagine a world where I didn’t feel like there was someone with a power greater than mine who was looking after me and cared deeply for me.
2. What gives your life purpose?
I used to want to have lots of friends and a wardrobe full of stylish clothes and some kind of mini ‘celebrity status’. Now, so much has changed. I’ve realised that life is not about things on this earth but about things after this life. Not that this life doesn’t have a purpose; it does. I think everything that we do here has eternal ramifications, which makes all the decisions we make important and significant.
3. Have you spoken with anyone of faith and heard their story or tried to read a holy book?
I love speaking to people about their faith. When I speak to people who share my faith, I’m encouraged by their stories of God’s goodness. When I speak to people of other faiths I’m able to have greater insight into their faiths. I read the Bible because it is a book with many layers that I believe God uses to talk to me. It helps me to base my decisions on something that will not change and it helps me to learn about God’s character.
4. What kind of person do you want to be? Who do you mirror your life on?
I want to be a kind person and a brave person. I admire people who give their lives in sacrifice for the lives of others. I like people who are full of joy, and quick to forgive. I base my life on the life of Jesus because His character was perfect and He teaches of things like peace, joy, and kindness.
5. What do you believe will happen to you when I die?
I believe that I am going to Heaven when I die. The Bible tells me that if I have a relationship with Jesus then part of the deal is eternity with Him and His Father in Heaven. I don’t know who will go to Heaven and who won’t, I do know God and I know He makes good decisions so I leave that one up to him.
We don’t have to agree or come to a conclusion right now. But I would love to hear what you think. Or maybe someone else out there would. Have a conversation, order some chips; not everyone wants to beat down your door with a Bible – let’s just talk about faith! It’s kind of important.
If you would like to know how you can get answers to these questions or you have other questions about Jesus that we can help with, please click on the link. We would love to talk to you.