5/6/19 Nick (click HERE to see conversation)
The guy with the classic car parked next to mine seemed like
the last person who would be interested in talking about religion, but as it
turned out, he – Nick – told me that just 3 weeks earlier he had decided not
only to seek after God for his purpose in life, but to trust that God would
indeed give him what he was seeking.
Even though he felt like he didn’t have any answers yet and had much to
learn, this gave him a confidence and peace in his heart that he hadn’t known
before, and he was excited when I had asked him for his thoughts about religion.
I was glad to hear of his enthusiasm, and I encouraged him
in his journey. Yet in my experience talking
with people and with what I know from scripture, I knew this newfound interest
in God didn’t just appear out of nowhere or originate with Nick. After all, in Romans 3 we read that “there is
no one who seeks God. All have turned away…”
I understand this to mean that it is not by our own effort that we begin
or continue to seek after God, but rather it is God who does the seeking. As Jesus said In John 6:22 “No one can come
to me unless the Father who sent me draws them.”
Nick might have felt like he had suddenly and for no
apparent reason decided to seek after God, and I believe him to be sincere in
his enthusiasm, but really it was God using some person or circumstance in his
life to draw him to Himself. After some further
questions I found out what had sparked this enthusiasm for God – a young lady,
a former high school classmate of his, had become a Christian and had called
him out of the blue and encouraged him to seek after God also.
I didn’t ask if there might be some romantic feelings
involved in Nick’s newfound interest in religion sparked by this young lady,
and frankly, I don’t really believe it matters because, truth be told, we have all
had mixed motives when we first came to faith in Jesus. Whether we are aware of what initially drew
us toward Christ or not, the Holy Spirit only works through outside influences
because we had not yet been born again and given the new heart spoken of in Ezekiel
11: “I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I
will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh,
that they may walk in my statutes and keep my rules and obey them. And they
shall be my people, and I will be their God”
So before we were given our heart of flesh, what could get
the attention of our heart of stone? I
believe God works through a crazy variety of people and circumstances, making
everyone’s salvation story unique. Whether
it is through tragedy or triumph, fear or trust, love or hate, a romantic interest,
close friend or a complete stranger, the prayers of a loved one or a random
conversation on the street, God reaches
out to us long before we are able to reach back, and then only with the help of
the Holy Spirit living within.
Jesus had thousands of followers when he performed the
miracles of multiplying bread and fish.
Many followed him for the physical benefit of food, but when it came
time to make a higher commitment to Jesus, most fell away. Only the 12 disciples remained, and when Jesus
asked them of their motives, Peter told Him the truth: “Lord, to whom shall we
go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know
that you are the Holy One of God.”
My hope and prayer for Nick is that, no matter who or what
is catching his interest in religion, he will know that ultimately it is God
drawing him to Himself. As Christians,
we can look back and know “We love because he first loved us.” After all He is both the author and finisher
of our faith.
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