Steps on Life's Journey

Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. I have accepted Christ as my Savior, now what? (What does all this mean?) 3. I am perfect now, right? (Dispelling new beginner myths) 4. All my problems have gone away, right? (Putting on the Armor of God) 5. So is there an instruction manual? (Ways to study the Bible and learn about your Faith) 6. You want me to do what with my money? (Tithing - why and how) 7. You want me to do stuff for others, why? (How to serve others and share God's Love) 8. Wait, you want me to talk to others about this? (How/why witness to others) 9. Conclusion

Chapter 1 I Have Accepted Christ as My Savior. Now What? (What Does All This Mean?) So I’ve accepted Christ as my Savior. Now what? What does it mean? Where do I go from here? First and foremost, always remember that God loves you. God will often give you more than you can handle. He does this on purpose. This is done to help you place your faith and trust in God. You see, you may not be able to handle the challenges that God puts in front of you, but God can handle them all. So when a situation that you find yourself in seems insurmountable and it is well beyond your abilities, give it to God in prayer. 1 Peter 4:12–13 (NIV) states,

Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.

It may not be the way that you want, and it may not be the outcome that you desire. It may not be in timing with your plans. But it will be the outcome that God wants, the outcome that he desires, and in perfect timing with his perfect plan. We just have to trust him. Sometimes, it is easy. Sometimes, it is hard. Sometimes, you may feel like God is making you suffer. Why won’t he give you what you want? If God doesn’t give you what you ask for, it’s because he has something better in store for you. Be patient. Remember, it’s his plan, not yours. This is probably one of the most difficult things to remember in our society of instant gratification. We have fast food, high-speed Internet, instant downloads, and same-day shipping, so why not instant prayer answers? When you ask God to give you patience, do you think suddenly you will become patient? Or do you think God will give you situations that require you to be patient? If you ask to be less selfish, will God instantly make you selfless? Or will he give you situations that let you demonstrate your selfless, caring attitude? You have entered a relationship with God. This is the most rewarding relationship that you can have. As with all relationships, though, it doesn’t just happen. Relationships take effort and work. Trust me when I say it is all well worth it. Sometimes, things will flow easily, while at other times, you will find yourself having difficulty fitting in time to work on your relationship. I struggle with this daily—multiple times a day. For example, as I write this, I am on vacation in Maple Cabin 6 at Lake Raystown Resort. I was lying in bed at 7:00 a.m. and thinking, Do I want to get up, make some coffee, and write? Or do I keep lying here in bed and go back to sleep? It is all about personal choices, and we make them thousands of times a day without thinking about them. Do we become selfish and do what we want to do, or do we do the selfless thing and spend time with our Lord and Savior? You may be asking yourself, “How do I build my relationship with God?” There are several ways to learn about your Lord and Savior. I plan on expounding on many of them here in this book. I know I struggle with devoting time to build my relationship with Christ. There are so many day-to-day distractions and things competing for your attention. There’s your home life (spouse, children, pets, house repairs, etc.). There’s work (the daily grind, business trips). There are earthly relationships (hanging out with friends, talking on the phone, and in this modern age, let’s not forget Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook). And then there is our own entertainment (television—three hundred channels and nothing to watch, movies, video games, and my favorites, hunting and fishing). There are lots of distractions, so how do we fit everything into place? How do we make everything work? Where do we find the time?