- Sep 25, 2001
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Originally posted by: fonzinator
I'll probably get flamed for this but I don't care...XFILE, I have a similar story:
I believe everyone wants a purpose and a direction in their life. I certainly do. My passion in life used to be getting girls to like me and to do things that would make me look good. I thrived on being a smart, level-headed guy that the ladies would want and the guys would all like. I found temporary satisfaction when I would date a girl for a while or be the popular guy, but at the end of the day, I still felt empty inside; unfulfilled. I turned to pornograhy to satisfy myself - again leaving my unfulfilled. I also went to church every Sunday where I went through the motions - these didn't satisfy me either. Sadly, I no real purpose in my life. Your "purpose" in life seems to be largely filled with gaming. While our passions/purposes aren't too similar, we have this in common - we both desired to satisfy something deep within us.
This church I went to was one that was bent around rules and traditions. Most of the people at this church were a bunch of hypocrites (I definately fit right in ) While attending, I heard various bits and pieces about Jesus. I heard that He was actually God in the flesh. I heard every Sunday that He came, lived a perfect, sinless life, and died on a cross for my sins. I heard that he rose from the dead! However, I never learned from this church how this Jesus guy really applied to me, or why he died for my sins. One day, a friend of mine invited me to their church. I went. I was blown away by what I saw. The people at this church had something radically, yet subtly, different about them than the people at my church. I kept attending because of my curiosity. Plus, these people seemed to genuinely love me for who I was - again, unlike the people at my church. I quickly found out, that these new people I had met had a relationship with Jesus Christ!? I learned that the Bible explains that God wants to know each of us personally! I knew my life was filled with sin (see my above "purposes/passions"). Sin is simply actions, thoughts, purposes, ect. that are against what God wants for us. I also learned that this sin had separated me from God and I deserved to be eternally separated from God because of these (hell). BUT!!!....God desires that no one (including you and me!) would go to hell. He promises that anyone who places their faith in Christ to pay for their sins will be saved from this punishment! Not only saved, but seen as totally clean before God for the rest of eternity!! This was the final piece I was missing in my bits and pieces about God I had heard at my church. So, I prayed to Jesus: I thanked God for sending Jesus to die for my sins, sincerely apologized for my sins against God, and asked Jesus to forgive my sins and to be the Lord of my life. I knew that God would do these things because he promises in the Bible to do so for anyone who will humble themselves and ask!
This was 10 years ago. At the time I began my relationship with Jesus, nothing instantly changed. However, over time, my passion and desire to satisfy myself with girls, being the popluar guy, and porn were replaced with a desire for Jesus and to glorify Him. You know what??....for the first time in my life, I had found TRUE satisfaction and fulfillment!! I know for certain that Jesus is the only answer in the entire universe for anyone to be truly satisfied. I know...I tried lots and lots of things and nothing else worked!
Well man, that's my story. Every day my life is changed and molded by my relationship with Jesus. He has changed my life and satisfied me in a way that nothing else could, or ever will. This is all really hard to communicate while typing. But I read your post and thought to myself, "I used to heading in the exact same direction as this guy." I was compelled to write you and tell you the answer that can only be found in Jesus! I hope you don't feel like I'm preachin to you. I'd like to know your thoughts about all of this Later!
Joe Golliher
fonzinator1@yahoo.com
wow! thx for the reply man! unfortunately, Jesus was forced on me by my mom when i was young. i was forced to goto church (luthern) and vacation bible school. when i turned 16, i told my mom enuf and no more church.
i have nothing against the church or god or anything like that, but it was being forced to go that's making me gunshy about spiritality.
so like you said, i'm seeking something more meaningful in life. Gaming (computer, online or other games) and church are out. What's left?