Tuesday, May 22, 2007

I first started believing when...

Lately, I've been reading blogs that are asking questions about faith and why we believe. So, I thought it would be interesting if we reconstructed how we all came to believe and perhaps some of the thoughts that convinced us to commit to those beliefs.

But, first, the story of Thomas from John 20:

One of the disciples, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), was not with the others when Jesus came. They told him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he replied, "I won't believe it unless I see the nail
wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side."

Eight days later the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with them. The doors were locked; but suddenly, as before, Jesus was standing among them. He said, "Peace be with you." Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don't be faithless any longer. Believe!"

"My Lord and my God!" Thomas exclaimed.

Then Jesus told him, "You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who haven't seen me and believe anyway."

We are those who haven't seen Jesus and believe anyway! How did this happen?

Let's reconstruct our story by finishing this sentence: I first started believing when...

I'll go first, and later (if necessary) add to it. Feel free to comment after you finish the sentence too.

5 comments:

JimmyBob said...

I first started believing when I was 15 years old. They told me about Jesus dying on the cross, His resurrection, and 2nd coming. I saw passion and sincerity in their hearts as they worshiped Jesus. I began thinking about God and somehow it turned to praying. In my heart I felt a tug. In my mind I heard a voice. It was similar to my conscience, but it was saying things I didn't make up on my own. That's when I first started believing. The day I surrendered EVERYTHING to that voice and accepted Christ as Savior and Lord, I became free in my own expression and began to understand life better.

Anonymous said...

I first started believing when I was 4. Seriously. My mom had told me alot, and I listened in church. She kept asking me if I was ready to ask Jesus into my heart. Finally, one day I did it on my own. I've never doubted His existence since then. I have thought about how different kids are raised believing different things, and how do you know which was is right. I tried to think of a way to explain how my religion was the only way. At the time, I couldn't think of any reason except the changes I had seen and heard of in other lives, and the changes I had seen in my own life. As I have grown up, I have found more and more reasons as to why my religion is the only way. Reasons that stand up to facts and feelings.

Anonymous said...

I first started my relationship with the Lord when I was 18 (I think I believed in "God" before that). I was a freshman in college and at the end of the year, started dating my husband (who was a Christian). He invited me to church and I remember on a Sunday night when the youth pastor was praying, he said I love you Lord like the Lord was real. I just remember feeling the Lord place a desire for Him on my heart and I began having a relationship with him.
Sandy

ruthrap said...

I already commented over at MySpace..but just for the record...I will say something here too. I think I have always believed from childhood..believing and understanding what you believe are two different things! We all have to test the waters on our own and that is what I think I was trying to say on my other comment...we try things our way, fail and then some of us will rethink and perhaps decide we are not in this thing called life alone and start thinking of a Greater Power...our Creator calls us to Him all the time...we need to listen...we have the capacity to be so much more than we let ourselves be...but we have to listen to Him..learn about Him..trust, love Him and He will take us where we need to be!
Thanks for urging us to express ourselves, James! Now, if I can post this without messing up..I will be happy!

Anonymous said...

I first started to believe when I realized that it didn't matter to God whether I believed or not. After nearly 40 years of pushing myself to believe, and pretending to believe, and worrying about whether I was "making it" or not... I finally gave up. Giving up, and learning that God loved me anyway, sparked something new in me. I discovered that my relationship with God didn't depend on me, and what I thought. All that mattered was that He made me, and loved me as much now as when He first made me. His love is immensely greater than my ability to believe, or not believe.

THAT is something I can believe.