Appreciating Jesus

For a while now I’ve been concerned that Jesus is too complex and strange for me to be able to understand very well. I’ve been concerned that in not understanding him, I have failed to appreciate, love and worship him as I should.

That was until a comment from an old friend made me realise how differently we both see my life. I think she sees my Christian life these last three years as just another thing, wheras I divide my adult life into ‘before’ and ‘after’ I became a Christian. So I got to wondering why.

As a child I was a Christian, and during the adult ‘before’ years I kept my general belief in God. I ‘merely’ forgot his fullness and forgot his Son. In the before years I was something like an Old Testament Jew. I knew there was a God and I knew what he expected of me. But I could never live up to his standard nor did I really want to, and he was never close to me, sinner that I was.

The difference between the before and after years is Jesus Christ, God’s Son. His life, death and resurrection is not just a truth that I hold – it is a truth that has transformed my life. For his glory and out of his love Jesus changed my life.

Because of Jesus I not only know that God exists, but I have a relationship with him. I am able to know him better each day.

Because of Jesus I am forgiven and made ready to follow his example of glad obedience to the Father.

Jesus has given me new life, showered me with every blessing and is the God I want to thank and follow and know as best I can in this life and better in the next!