Gathering this space

I’ve noticed something lately in a lot of conversations about faith. People are asking: “Am I Christian?” “Am I just spiritual?” “Do I have to go to church?” “How am I supposed to pray?” “How do I know if God is actually hearing me?” “What does having a relationship with Jesus even look like?” “Am I coming to God the right way?” And underneath a lot of those questions, I think there is an even deeper one: “Do I belong with God if I don’t have all of this figured out yet?” I think sometimes we make coming to God much more complicated than Jesus did. You do not have to clean yourself up first. You do not have to know the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. You do not have to know the right Christian vocabulary. You do not have to pray beautifully. You do not have to pretend that you are certain when you are confused. You do not have to hide your anger, grief, doubt, questions, or disappointment from God. Come honestly. If all you can pray is, “God, I don’t even know if I know You, but I want to,” then start there. If all you can say is, “Jesus, I’m confused. Help me understand,” start there. A relationship with Christ is not a performance where you earn points for sounding spiritual enough. It is a relationship. And relationships grow through time, truth, trust, communication, listening, correction, love, and sometimes even wrestling. That doesn’t mean truth does not matter. It absolutely does. Following Jesus is more than simply calling ourselves “spiritual.” Jesus calls us to know Him, trust Him, repent, learn His teachings, obey Him, love God, love people, and allow Him to transform the way we live. But transformation is a journey. You don’t wait until you are healthy before going to the doctor, and you don’t have to wait until your life is perfectly together before going to Christ. And Christianity itself is not supposed to be merely a label we attach to ourselves. You can wear the label “Christian” and never truly seek Christ. You can also be someone standing outside the church doors, unsure of what you believe, while sincerely whispering, “God, please show me who You are.” God is not intimidated by sincere questions. Read the Scriptures. Talk to Him honestly. Learn who Jesus actually is—not only who people on social media say He iis Search Him. Learn His Character. And when you fail, don’t make failure your hiding place. Come back. Again and again. Because maybe the question isn’t: “Do I fit perfectly into Christianity yet?” Maybe the better question is: “Am I willing to know Christ, follow where He leads, and allow Him to change me?” Faith isn’t having every answer before you begin. Sometimes faith begins with one very simple prayer: “God, here I am. Teach me who You are.” 🤍