Good Morning!

I posted the following on my Facebook page last year on the 13th. I thought it worthwhile to share again. My 11th Anniversary was Wednesday. Still sober and not looking back! Feel free to share it with the public or with someone specific that you think may find it useful. As we witnessed yesterday, you just never know how God will use our stories.

Today marks my 10th Anniversary of sobriety. More importantly, it is also the date that I became a Christian. Trust me, this was the LAST thing I wanted. I simply had no where else to turn. Yes, I am born again. One of those people. I know full well what that looks like to most of the world. I was a jerk to these people, even those I loved. I thought they were foolish, gullible slobs who needed help. THEY were the ones who needed to be saved. Yet, for the couple times I listened to their story during my college years, I was amazed by their contentment, peace, and joy. Something about them was appealing. However, my lifestyle of doing whatever I pleased didn’t provide room for them or their message. It took twenty-five more years of me before I was ready to truly hear it.

Here I am. A bible-thumping, Jesus Freak. I thought I knew what this meant, but I was wrong. I have now seen the world from both perspectives. I can assure you that I was dead wrong about all this. I wouldn’t trade this new life for anything.

Does that mean I get to be a jerk and point fingers at others? Hardly. It does mean that I now agree with a set of principles that is most often at odds with the world. It does mean I have a different perspective on the struggles and pain of life. It does mean that I will offer a solution that some may not like. Most will reject it. Fair enough. No need to hammer away. At the same time, knowing what I now know, it would be a gross injustice if I didn’t share it. Does that give me license to badger anyone? No more than it does you with your political views or new dietary lifestyle. Open discussions are healthy. Nobody likes to be hounded.

The decision to follow Jesus is final. Either you go or you don’t. There is no turning back. There is no trial period. All sales are final. There are no refunds or exchanges. Everyone knows that born-agains are different, that they have been changed. Expect that when you follow Jesus. It’s a big, big deal, way bigger than anything else you could ever do.

Funny thing is, I knew this from the time I was a kid. It actually frightened me. Nothing else compares. Everything has an end or escape clause. Every agreement can be broken. Except the one with Jesus. This is terrifying because you don’t know for sure what you sign up for until you actually, irrevocably enlist.

The conundrum is that one doesn’t truly know the position one is in without Jesus. We think we know, but we don’t. We can’t – unless we actually make the commitment to see if the grass indeed is greener from the other side of the fence. I had a thousand reasons not to follow Jesus – all of which made those who did fools, in my mind. Now that I became a fool, I can finally say for certain what it is like. I recommend it.

Copyright © 2018 Scott Powers