Don't Stop Believing

Once upon a time in my life, the phrase "Don't Stop Believing" would have caused me to break out into off-key singing of a Journey classic. I grew up with the band Journey as a backdrop to my life. Now, in my Christian walk and having been through years of struggle related to my own self-worth and from comparing my walk to the walk of other Christians, don't stop believing has a much more important meaning for me.

It is so easy in today's world to get sucked into disbelief. We are a "now" culture and a "me" culture. But when we take our eyes off of ourselves for just a moment, and focus on the cross, on what Jesus did for us, we can put our problems in perspective. God did not promise us that life would be easy. To the contrary, Jesus said that all who desire to follow Him would be taking up their own cross to do so. It is a life of self-sacrifice, but the reward is so great.

I recently read an internet post of a "former Christian/current atheist" and it broke my heart. This person pointed to the Bible being hard to read and full of "ancient minutia" that had no bearing on life today. It took me a long time, and several life failures of my own, to get to a place in my walk where I love reading the Bible. Yes, it can be difficult to read. Use study tools. Use internet resources to help you. Youtube.com is full of Christian pastors sharing the word of God. Find one you enjoy listening to. Learn the history. Learn how beautifully it all ties together into the life and death of Jesus Christ. Ask God for discernment and discipline to stay committed to the walk of a Christian in today's "me" society. It doesn't happen overnight for everybody. You may not see yourself as experiencing as deep a walk as others seem to experience, but keep walking! God has something designed just for you, nobody else, but you have to walk until you get there.