A couple weeks ago, I shared about how we quit some things to begin other things. Today, I’m going to share a story about Marie and how she began something, which led to her quitting some things.
In mid-2005, I was driving down the road with Marie and she said, “Dad, I can see how Jesus has helped and changed you and Mom. And I believe He could help me too. But I can’t ask Him into my life yet because I still like to go to the bar and drink, get drunk and shoot pool. I live with my boyfriend and we sleep in the same bed. I like to smoke a joint every once in a while. I even like some dirty jokes. But I know He could help me when the time is right.”
We Are All Sinners
As she was talking, I was praying and asking God to help me with what to say in response to my daughter’s thoughts and comments. And this is what I said: “Marie, Jesus died for our sins. We are all sinners and we all do things that do not please God. That’s why we need Jesus. He loves you just the way you are!
“I don’t believe you have to wait until you stop doing these things to ask Jesus into your life. What I believe is that after you ask Jesus into your life, over time, He will change you. And after a while, you might not want to do the things you mentioned any longer. So you don’t have to wait until you stop doing these things to ask Jesus into your life. But know that once you ask Him into your life, He will change you. The question is do you want to change?”
In that moment, Marie didn’t answer my question out loud. But prior to this talk and during this time, she was attending church.
And some weeks later at one of the “best church services ever,” Marie decided to go to the altar and prayed with Pastor Fred and asked Jesus into her life! As she walked by me and walked down toward the front, I hope I never forget how I felt. Tears started streaming down my face. I was overwhelmed by the love of Jesus and that moment. I didn’t know exactly what she was going down for. It could have been just to pray about help from Jesus. She told us after the service that she accepted and asked Jesus into her life.
Asking Jesus Into Your Life
The words that God gave me back on that day in 2005 were solid truth. Over time, Marie changed. She doesn’t like to do any of those things anymore. She has been transformed from the inside out. Today, she is a great wife and mom who honors God in everything that she does. I am so proud of my daughter and the life she lives today!
So please, don’t get legalistic on me! Remember, whether it’s you or someone else, you don’t wait until you are changed to ask Jesus into your life. You decide to ask Jesus into your life, and then He will change you through your relationship with Him.
To those who are still hitting the bar scene, living or sleeping with someone you are not married to, smoking some weed or anything else, have at it! Know that God loves you! He loves you right where you are, for who you are and how you are.
I do want to be clear that I am also not saying that Christians can’t or shouldn’t go to bars, drink, smoke weed or like dirty jokes. That’s between you and God. That’s above my pay grade. What I do know is that Marie didn’t want to continue to live that life, and neither did I.
So again, don’t be getting legalistic on me. God bless you!
