There are times when genuine followers of Jesus come to a point in life where God feels far away, life becomes dull, and the love that we once knew has faded. This page is here to help those who have trusted in Jesus as Lord of their life to once again enjoy the rest of our good God who loves us and knows us. If you are here today, chances are likely that you are somewhere you never expected to be, maybe you don’t even know how you got there. Take heart, you are not alone.
For those of you today wondering “am I a Christian”? To understand that we need to remember what it means to be a Christian, a follower of Jesus. The Bible says: If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9 NLT). For those of you reading who are not a follower of Jesus, you may be ready to totally start your life over today. If you are ready to know who Jesus is, visit https://www.myemanuel.com/i-am-ready/.
To my brothers and sisters who are hurting, sad, back in a place of shame, or feeling trapped in sin, I pray today that Jesus would draw you close and give you an overwhelming rest and peace. This is by far one of the most accessed pages throughout our entire site. Why? So many are looking for the peace, joy, love, and hope they once knew through their faith in Jesus. In church circles we talk about “recommitting” our lives to Christ, but in Scripture the Word we see is simpler… “repent”.
Before we talk about how to start over, there are a few truths in Scripture we hope you’ll explore:
- Nothing can separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:38-39)
- Jesus came to give us an abundant life (not just in eternity, now) (John 10:10)
- Through our trust in Jesus as Lord of our live, we are forgiven and free (John 8:36)
- If you confess your sins, God is faithful and in Christ He will forgive you and cleanse you from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9)
So often in the craziness of life, one bad decision can lead to another. Before we know it we’ve stopped going to church, started ignoring our Christian friends, stopped reading the Bible, stopped praying, and find ourselves in a deeper, darker, more desperate place. You may think you are the only one in the history of forever that has come to know the love of Jesus and then made bad decisions. I promise you aren’t, we have too. If you’ve placed your hope and trust in Jesus, through faith you become God’s child (John 1:12). So what does that mean? It’s time to come home… the Father is calling.
So often I am thankful for the realness of Scripture. In the Bible we see the superheroes of the faith struggling with doubts, fears, failures, and sin. The Bible doesn’t hide it or pretend we are something we aren’t. Jesus tells us clearly who we are… I’d like to share one powerful story from Scripture and ask you a few questions.
The story may be long, but the point is powerful. Even if the story is familiar, read it any way… the reminder is important.
To illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story: “A man had two sons. The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now before you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons. “A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living. About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve. He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything. “When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”’ “So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.’ “But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began.” (Luke 15:11-24 NLT)
- Was the young man a son before or after he his experience in the “distant land”? Both. The young man was his father’s son before he ever went to the distant land. The relationship was restored when he “finally came to his senses” and came back home… this is a picture of repentance.
- Did the Father angrily scold his young son when he returned? No. His father was filled with love and compassion for his son and before his son ever spoke a word, the father restored the relationship (“embrace him, and kissed him”). The grace of God is meant to draw us to repentance (Romans 2:4).
Repentance means both confessing your sin, agreeing with God that He is right concerning your sin, and turning from your sin. So simply… to “recommit” means to repent and it is here that the wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God (Romans 2:4) welcomes you back into a rich relationship with Him through your faith in Jesus.
So here you are… I’ve been there before too (we all have). The Bible says that Jesus is always the same, He never has and never will change (Hebrews 13:8 NLT). Since God never changes… if He seems far away… who has moved? The answer is you and I. The Father is calling dear child… won’t you please come home?
If you have trusted in Jesus as Lord of your life and you are ready to come back home, simply pray from your heart. You might pray something like this:
Father, I praise you and thank you that nothing can separate me from Your love. Lord Jesus I confess my sins before you and ask that you would cleanse me from my failures. Lord I want to enjoy the rich relationship we had before. Please forgive me for my failure and help me serve and know you more. Thank you for the freedom and abundant life I have in You Lord Jesus, and it’s in Your name I pray, amen.