“It’s powerful to see a young man in his early twenties who would rather spend time with God’s people than go to a club. It’s powerful to see a young man fighting to remain sober. It’s powerful to see a young woman finder her identity in Christ and not in what others think. What an amazing picture of God’s grace.” – Trip Lee – Rise: Get up and live in God’s great story
After I read the above quote in the book I had gotten written by Trip Lee, I could not help but think once again of my past. In my past, I refused to drink, but I always felt the pressure. For some reason, I always surrounded myself with the wrong group of friends. I always hurt to find a good group of God’s people, I always felt like I would not be accepted, so I stuck with what I knew. I went to clubs, bars, raging parties and had a good time, still not feeling like I fit in fully. I wish I would have taken the leap of not feeling like I really fit in where I would ultimately go, instead at least tried to see what would have happened if I had joined a church group or made friends through a church. Looking back, that’s where I really would have fit in.
The band Mercy Me has an amazing song called Dear Younger Me that always come to mind when I think back like this, Especially when it says…
“Dear younger me, where do I start, If I could tell you everything that I have learned so far? Then you could be, one step ahead, of all the painful memories still running thru my head. I wonder how much different things would be? Dear younger me.” – Mercy Me
Sure we can’t learn from our future and warn our younger selves of what not to do, what mistakes to avoid. However we definitely can learn from our past. It’s our past that shaped us into who we are today. The older we get, the wiser we become, unless we choose otherwise. It’s never to late to make things easier for ourselves. If I had only fully followed God’s word from the very beginning. If you hadn’t, now is a good time to stop creating regret and start living for our Lord Jesus Christ! He can forgive all sin and make you born again.
Say this prayer if you’re ready to accept Jesus into your life…
Lord Jesus, please forgive me of my sins, for I know I am a sinner. Jesus please come into my life, I fully accept you for who and what you are. I know that you have died for my sins and rose again so that I can join you in the kingdom of heaven. Jesus please help me rid of my evil worldly ways and help me want to only do what’s right by you. I know that you are the one true God. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
