004 Why Do I Care What You Believe?

Podcast Audio

I look forward to sharing this message with you to highlight the motivation behind this podcast project and I will give you a little spoiler: it has to do with your destiny.

If you have had any contact with me in real life, at some point, I would have asked you if you believed in God and why. I’ve had all kinds of responses from people, varying from complete indifference to defensive and hostile reactions. But a common comeback is, “No, I am not religious”, often an attempt to shut down the conversation.

Now, I am genuinely interested in understanding why people believe what they believe and I have questioned friends and strangers to help me gain insight. I would ask questions such as, “How do you define “religious”? “What has led you to say that you don’t believe in God?” to try to understand what is behind such a stance.

Defining Religion

You will hear me say this repeatedly, but people attach different meanings to different words, so it is important that we start by defining religion.  It is defined as a system of beliefs, rituals and practices often involving a moral code and worship. Religion claims to provide answers to the big questions in life, and it involves elements of faith, traditions, organised practices and guidance for human conduct. It seems to be a sensitive topic and many avoids it. Additionally, I get the impression that for those with friends who have a different religion than them, it feels judgmental to disagree with what they believe. I guess it can feel like you are judging or rejecting someone you care about. And judging seems to be the unpardonable sin in our culture.

But I would like to challenge you – even those who say that they are not religious, have a system of beliefs and practices usually motivated by what they value highly. You will know what your God and your religion is when you evaluate what you spend your time, money and thoughts on. Does the unwillingness to discuss it, indicate an unwillingness to be challenged? Do you feel that just because someone disagrees with you, that they are judging you?

I would like to state that it is possible to have firm convictions - and still accept and love people with a different view. This off course does not mean that we have to accept or agree with anything and everything for fear of offending someone - but at least be able to have a respectful conversation about it.

Three Reasons Why I Share my Faith

So, why do I care so much what you believe anyway?  Why do I feel the need to share MY faith and why not just keep it to myself?  I will answer you with a question:  When you have experienced something REMARKABLE, something that leaves you in awe… can YOU keep It quiet? The answer is off course not, at some point you will not be able to contain your amazing experience, you WILL need to share it with someone.

If faith was just about upholding a moral code, then I can understand why no one might care. But I promise you, the Christian faith is not that.

For years, I have observed how what people put their faith in, impacts their lives. I have seen people put their faith in themselves, their giftings, or their spouses or children – and it never ultimately ends well because all these things are finite. They actually come from someone – He is the Source of all these wonderful things.  The Christian faith is about the great reconciliation with the Source, Jesus, also your loving Creator and brings you into alignment with a divine destiny that awaits each one of us who would dare to believe.  It is honestly, such wonderful news. And that is one of the primary reasons why I feel compelled to share it. It is more amazing than a breathtaking sunset, falling in love, or even what I think it must feel like to win the lottery. It will affect every area of life positively. Millions of people through the ages can testify to this. So, sharing my faith is like saying, “Hey, I have won the lottery, and I know how you can win too!!”

The second reason is because I have done the hard work. I have explored and studied different religions. And while there is most certainly a level of faith involved, it is impossible to ignore the evidence for the legitimacy of Jesus’s life and teachings. Everyone deserves a chance to at least hear and consider the evidence and know what it really is about, before rejecting it. And frankly, I actually encourage you to compare it with other worldviews, then you can make an informed decision. Something quite amazing is that most religions and worldviews will tell you about all the actions good works you need to do to be enlightened and get saved. In the Christian view, when you believe in what Jesus for us, you are saved and then when you start to live life with Him, you can’t help to do good works. But this is not a requirement to be accepted by Him.

Thirdly, giving you an opportunity to know Jesus, I believe, is the greatest gift and act of love that I could ever offer you. In fact, I am convinced that it would be selfish and even cruel for me not to share it with you, as it will bring meaningand purpose, joy, love and freedom into your life.

It saddens me, that there are so many preconceived ideas and lies that form a barrier to finding meaning in faith.  Often, Christianity is known for what it is against, often perceived to be synonymous with judgment, restrictions, rules and hypocrisy – in other words… “a legalistic religion”. History is riddled with stories of how leaders have waged wars in the name of God and how men have used “religion” to further their own selfish campaigns for power. Christianity is therefore often associated with political parties and with religious actions which has taken place in the past by humans, and it is a false and evil representation of God.

And this, is our biggest mistake, to believe the lies about who God really is.

You see, when we have rituals and rules and systems, without divine love, we get legalistic religion. Religion itself is empty, and you can NEVER live up to its expectations and demands.

So, allow me to tell you about this divine love. Allow me to introduce you to the most important person that you will ever have the privilege to meet.

I grew up in in South Africa in a culturally Christian home. My family was deeply affected by the political and financial instability of this beautiful country, there was a lot of, insecurity and fear. As a young girl, my understanding of Christianity was that if you could follow the rules, then God will love you and be on your side. And I really did wanted God to love me. But how on earth, would he be able to love this wild child who liked boys, mini-skirts, Dirty Dancing and Madonna?

My experience of church was of an event on Sundays, not a lifestyle or community. I did however like Bible stories and even with my very limited reading and understanding, I felt a real love for this person called Jesus and was really sad that He had to die.

I stopped going to church the moment that I did not have to. I honestly did not that I was important to God, but that did not stop me from sending out SOS prayers when needed and that was the extent of my faith.

I know that there were many churches that were relevant and transformational in people’s lives – but I never found one. I longed for community and connection; I would have loved if someone would have made an effort to reach out to me and show me my place in God’s plan. 

When I look back now, I must have known that my counterfeit party community and hedonistic lifestyle would not fill the emptiness inside of me, because I often returned to different churches, looking for “something”. But my presence went mostly unnoticed.

I could not tell you the exact date when I put my faith in Jesus, because I recall that I did this several times – I would give my heart to Jesus, only to take it back and eturn to lifestyle that I led before.

It is true that life broke me at a young age. I looked for identity and love in the wrong places. I was deeply lonely and struggled to find my place in this world. What was also true is that I was unwilling to surrender my life fully and I was inadvertently fighting with Jesus for the crown. Now you have to know that Jesus, does not share His thrown.Thankfully, I eventually lost this fight, because while cost of following Jesus is high, the cost for NOT following Him, is devastating., impossible to bear. Without Him, I would not have been here today. What is just as true, is that without a church activated in their mission, I would not be here today.

Let Me Tell You About My Turning Point.

Outwardly, I was the life of the party – cocktails, champagne, glamour and glitter. But inwardly, I was carrying hurts I could not never heal and I was ridden with guilt and shame – because there was a raging dissonance between who God made me to be, and the life I actually lived. Not many people knew that I was wrestling with destructive depression.

Though I kept running for many years, Jesus found me, in the back row of a church in the Middle East. That day, as I walked through the doors, I felt the Holy Spirit’s embrace, and I was overwhelmed by His indescribable – and unmerited love. After everything that I had done, after breaking probably every rule in the Book, I encountered the person of Jesus and He enveloped me with His wild and extravagant grace. It was the beginning of my way back to the One who loved me first.

Much healing and deliverance was still needed, but that day, He healed from depression and I left knowing that I was loved. How extraordinary, that the King of heaven did not give up on me, and had been pursuing me, all these years. BUT, to receive that kind of love and freedom, I had to admit that He is God and I am not, that I am the sinner in need of Jesus the Saviour. I had to make a choice  to leave behind my old life, because with Jesus, darkness and light does not mix.

The choice - salvation through faith in Jesus -  is instant, but the journey to mature in faith is a process. Since then, I have seen many other miraculous transformations and miracles. But for me, the most amazing miracle is still, that a girl like me, gets to call Jesus my closest friend. And you can too… God is inviting you,  in fact, pursuing you right now. It may look different, but my story, is your story… and as much as this might challenge your pride, we all need the Saviour.

Salvation not only sets us free, but it removes the barrier between us and God. I now have the ability to hear His voice clearly. I keep our relationship alive through spending time with Him and reading His Word. Today, my husband and my son have the same relationship with a God who is not distant and abstract, but personal, very real and relational.

This faith is a crazy, wild love that turns everything upside down to make sure it is the right side up and it is a far cry from a religion.

God Revealed in Jesus

I have often heard people say: “If there was a God, why is He not revealing himself to us?” Well, the answer to that question is, He does often reveal Himself to us through the love of other people.   But more importantly, more than 2000 years ago, in a true historical event, God was revealed in a man called Jesus of Nazareth. God revealed HIS love, through Jesus’s love for the world, through his acts of kindness and His miracles.  But how did humankind react to Jesus? We crucified Him.

There were not only eyewitness testimonies of his life, crucifixion and death, but also of his miraculous resurrection from the grave. Think about this : many great leaders and presidents have been assassinated, but Jesus, they could not kill. Many supposed spiritual leaders have walked this earth – but none of them claimed to be God. All of them have died and none of them have even been resurrected.

This cannot be said about Jesus, who claimed to be God and was seen alive, after being resurrected from the dead.

The story of the Bible is of God who had mercy on humankind by sending a Saviour from the thrown and into the trenches to save us from our sins.

 And if you are listening to this and feel offended by the idea of being called a sinner, let me ask you something:

Have you never done something that you felt bad about or are ashamed of?

Have you never hurt someone - you did not know how to make it right? If there were to be a judgment day, can you honestly say that you are completely perfect and without sin?

Let me put it like this: If a crime was committed against yourself or your family. Would you not demand justice and consequence for the crime? Off course you would.

Well, we are all guilty of something, we have all hurt or wronged someone – just imagine if true justice is required.  On our own, we are incapable to make up for our wrongdoings.  Each one of us need redemption and to deny this, is pure pride and ignorance.  But here is the thing.

-       Judgment in the Christian faith, is meant to expose your offence, BUT  it simultaneously offers you the opportunity of pardon through faith in Jesus. 

-       Judgment in the world on the other hand, exposes your offense and then excludes and condemns you.

 We stand guilty and condemned, this is a fact.  But God sent the only pure worthy sacrifice, His Son Jesus to pay our debt – with His blood – so that we could be free and live forever, completely forgiven.

Then there is the matter of life after death that deserves some reflection. According to the bible, it is only faith in Jesus that can save you from an eternity in enemy territory without God’s presence, peace, protection and actually that is good – the enemy other words hell. You understand that God does not send people to hell – our final destination, is a choice each one of us will have to make.  Off course, if hell does not exist than you have nothing to worry about, but what if it is real…?

God is so just, fair and kind. He revealed himself to us as a God who is both majestic and powerful and yet so personal and loving. Which other worldview have so much historical veracity and makes so much sense? The King of a perfect heaven came to this broken fallen earth to rescue you … and me.

This Is Why I Care What You Believe.

When I started to see God’s plan for the lives of people – His children, that He made in His image, when I started to see His plan for the church – not the building – but the a body of believers - I was overwhelmed by how beautiful it is, how each person has a place to belong.

 God shared His heart with me –for those in search of something that they cannot explain. Those looking for meaning in the wrong places, and maybe even who have gone to different churches in search of something and left unseen, and just as empty. But that something is actually Someone.

It was the presence of the Holy Spirit and a church with people transformed by the love of God, that showed me what Jesus’s love to me concretely looked like. Someone took the time to remember my name, to call to find out how I was doing, to invite me into their home. It was a community of people invested in discipleship, and they were the community that I always longed to have.

My story would not be complete, if I did not finally find a church who demonstrated the love and power of Christ. And this experience has ignited my passion to help people to seek and encounter Jesus.  but also to  activated and equip each believer in the church to understand the power of being a community who demonstrates the love of Jesus to to rise up to its glorious mandate to impact society with the love and power of Jesus.

Come with your hurts, your questions and objections – and I will show you where you can find healing, answers and truth, that you can build your life on. No objection or doubt is too big for Him as long as you are a sincere seeker of truth.

Jesus came down from heaven to show us the Father’s love and now it is our turn.

Thank you for listening and until next time.