Are You My "Just One" This Year?

I'm pretty sure I've told the story already about the time in college when I invited a guy I was dating to go to church with me.  He hadn't, to my knowledge, ever been to church before and, I'll admit it, I got really nervous and couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking.  Well, I didn't have to wait long because during the part where we were singing a song called "Holy is the Lamb", he leaned over and said to me, "Um, what's so great about this lamb?"  As in Baaaaaaaaaa...cuddly little lamb.

That moment will always stand as a very defining moment in my Faith.  As I sat there and viewed the world and Christianity through his eyes, I saw how N-U-T-S it must look.  In his mind, all he saw were these people standing around and singing about an animal?  That wasn't what was actually happening obviously but how could he possibly know that sometimes Christians refer to Jesus as the Lamb of God.  Or WHY we refer to Jesus as the Lamb of God.  And especially why that's worthy of singing about. 

I am SO. SO. SO. thankful for that experience. 

Since that moment, I have had the ability to see Faith through the eyes of both my personal beliefs and what it must look like to someone who hasn't ever heard, what I would consider, the Good News.  I'm always looking at the Bible with two sets of eyes...how do I read and receive this as a Believer? And how can I help the one who hasn't heard all the Christian "jargon" before wade through all the fluff to understand what's really important? 

The only thing I feel 100% capable of doing, at all times, is pursuing an authentic relationship with God myself and consistently acknowledging that my love for God is great...but my ability to fail and disappoint others is also great.  I've mentioned in the past, I'm not a Christian because I just drank the KoolAid.

Transitioning just for a moment, I typically don't do resolutions but I've changed my mind and I'm going to do one this year. Wouldn't it be a miracle if I just said something straight out? Well, here you go: my point in a nutshell. I plan to spend my year praying and asking God for a "Just One". At the challenge of our Pastor yesterday, I'm praying for "just one" person this year who comes to desire a relationship with Him because they found proof of Him in my life somewhere, somehow. That would be what our Pastor called a "No Lose" Resolution...and I agree.

The End. You can quit reading now if you want. The rest are just my personal thoughts I'm writing for the "record book".

Let me bottom line this whole thing.  I was recently talking to someone who was not a Christian and we were having a very open dialogue about Faith.  She asked me how I could believe in something so outlandish, in a sense, and I had to smile and say, "How could I not?" 

I believe, first of all, because I am personally convinced.  The more I study the Word, you'd think I'd find more reasons to not believe.  I mean, it's an old book.  Surely there would be plenty of discrepancies and loopholes that would make me see that being a Christian is sheer lunacy.  But, in fact, the opposite if true.  The more I study, the more I realize how consistent God is. 

In my mind, I can't figure out how I can "lose" by being a Believer.  Let's just pretend for a moment that it's 100% not true. Let's say I spend my life loving someone who isn't really there and I spend each morning reading a really old book with a great cup of coffee. 

Meh, so what? 

I would say, in that case, that in my darkest moments and hours, I have been given the gift of believing that there is something more to life...there is purpose in these daily struggles and glory in the moments of joy.  Also, as I read and study the Word, worst case scenario, I learn more about being a better person.  I become less selfish, more forgiving, and I develop deeper values and stronger convictions for how to treat others.  So I ask, have I really lost anything?    At most, I've lost relationships with those who can't tolerate that I'm "dumb enough" to believe in something I can't see.

At the end of it all...when my life is over and I get buried in the ground...what if I find there is nothing but dirt and darkness?  I ask you this: what have I lost?  I'll be dead. The End. My pride won't hurt even a little that I was wrong, I promise you. 

But what if, at the end of it all, I was right?  That there is More?  That I spent my life loving a God who sacrificed His most precious Son in my place so that all that was wrong with me could be made right?  That I read an Old Book that was able to show me more about how to be a more quality, Christ-like person?  Even if Jesus was only a good man, what would be so wrong with wanting to be more like Him?  What could possibly be wrong with loving my neighbor as I love myself or respecting my father and mother? Or not wanting what my neighbor has?  Or learning to be content with what I have? Or giving my "extra" to the poor and less fortunate?

If it's all true, as David Platt said it best: "How unloving do I have to be NOT to tell people about that Good News?"

So I pray and ask that this year, as I share my life in general, somehow YOU (my "just one")  whoever you may be, will feel the Pull and won't be able to ignore the Call.  I pray that each time you hear me talk about my Faith...deep down...you'll know its not because I lack intelligence or because I'm weak and need something to depend on.  I'm asking that, for all the things that you can say to yourself about why you shouldn't believe, HE will show you five more for why you should.