First Steps to Finding Happiness by Following Jesus
Finding happiness by following Jesus is a process -- as you commit your life to him you will have times of unspeakable joy and yet at other times the struggles of life will creep in and steal away your happiness. I've seen this over and over in my life and in the lives of my friends. However, I have also found that the more I press in and spend time with Jesus and pattern my life after Him, the happier I am and the more I live in a state of inner happiness and inner peace despite the circumstances of life in which I find myself. It is my prayer that you too would find that abiding joy and inner peace that comes from following Jesus in the following ways:
1) Realize that you need help from a Higher Power. Whatever mistakes you have made in the past, confess them to God and He will forgive you. Jesus died on the cross so that the sins of the world -- including yours and mine -- can be forgiven. Don't waste this opportunity -- find a private place to pray out loud right now and confess your sins to God and ask Him to forgive you. He will forgive you and you can begin your new life in Him as a new creation -- your old life will be gone and your new life begun!
2) Commit yourself to being a follower of Jesus, patterning your life after Him and continually talking to Him in prayer and asking Him for help in every area of your life, wherever you need it. He cares for you, even loves you to the point that He died for you. True happiness comes from knowing that He died for you and that you now belong to Him. Turn your life over to Him, ask Him to lead you and guide you into every good thing that He has in store for you. He will bless you -- make you happy -- in ways you never expected.
3) Learn about God's will for your life by reading the Bible, especially the New Testament. Don't worry about reading the whole Bible right away -- there will be plenty of time to dig into the Old Testament stories later on. Start out by reading the Gospels -- Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John -- and discover for yourself who Jesus is and how He lived and what He taught. Then move on in the New Testament, reading the book of Acts and the following letters to the churches so you can discern for yourself how a believer ought to live and how a true Christian should conduct him/herself.
4) Find a group of believers who are encouraging, loving, and life-giving rather than condemning or holier-than-thou. It can be a home Bible study, a campus or work-based group, or a traditional church; just find some people who can encourage you in the faith and be encouraged by your faith in Christ. This is very important for you and for the people God will bring into your life so use the links on our link page or use the Contact Page to send me an email and I will help you find a good group in your area.
Finding happiness by following Jesus is a process -- as you commit your life to him you will have times of unspeakable joy and yet at other times the struggles of life will creep in and steal away your happiness. I've seen this over and over in my life and in the lives of my friends. However, I have also found that the more I press in and spend time with Jesus and pattern my life after Him, the happier I am and the more I live in a state of inner happiness and inner peace despite the circumstances of life in which I find myself. It is my prayer that you too would find that abiding joy and inner peace that comes from following Jesus in the following ways:
1) Realize that you need help from a Higher Power. Whatever mistakes you have made in the past, confess them to God and He will forgive you. Jesus died on the cross so that the sins of the world -- including yours and mine -- can be forgiven. Don't waste this opportunity -- find a private place to pray out loud right now and confess your sins to God and ask Him to forgive you. He will forgive you and you can begin your new life in Him as a new creation -- your old life will be gone and your new life begun!
2) Commit yourself to being a follower of Jesus, patterning your life after Him and continually talking to Him in prayer and asking Him for help in every area of your life, wherever you need it. He cares for you, even loves you to the point that He died for you. True happiness comes from knowing that He died for you and that you now belong to Him. Turn your life over to Him, ask Him to lead you and guide you into every good thing that He has in store for you. He will bless you -- make you happy -- in ways you never expected.
3) Learn about God's will for your life by reading the Bible, especially the New Testament. Don't worry about reading the whole Bible right away -- there will be plenty of time to dig into the Old Testament stories later on. Start out by reading the Gospels -- Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John -- and discover for yourself who Jesus is and how He lived and what He taught. Then move on in the New Testament, reading the book of Acts and the following letters to the churches so you can discern for yourself how a believer ought to live and how a true Christian should conduct him/herself.
4) Find a group of believers who are encouraging, loving, and life-giving rather than condemning or holier-than-thou. It can be a home Bible study, a campus or work-based group, or a traditional church; just find some people who can encourage you in the faith and be encouraged by your faith in Christ. This is very important for you and for the people God will bring into your life so use the links on our link page or use the Contact Page to send me an email and I will help you find a good group in your area.