I Decided to Follow Jesus, My Perspective on America

The following post was sent to me by my Dear Friend Brenda Wrisley in Elkhart, Indiana and it is written by her Dear Friend, Betty Fritz, who is also from Elkhart, now that is the Body of Christ working together!!  AMEN!

Here is Betty’s story…………

Christian Perspective:

I became a Christian in 1966, two weeks before my 17th birthday. By “became a Christian” I mean I decided to follow Jesus. I became a member of His family. It could be compared to the feeling one must have who has lost connection with their biological family. The feeling of meeting your real Father for the first time and knowing that finally you know who you are and where you came from. I was fortunate to be born into a big family with six brothers and three sisters. It wasn’t like I was lacking in family members… or love for that matter. But I needed something more…a meaning, a purpose for being here

I guess it would be accurate to say that finding Jesus (or Him finding me) was what brought me “out of my shell” as it used to be called. My shell was one created by shyness and what is now called “low self esteem.” I felt at home only at home and that was it. I was scared to death of people and what they might say to me such as “Hello.” I could say “hello” back to them but what if they expected more than that? My face would burn and turn red at the thought of having to have a conversation with somebody I didn’t know. I heard it described once as “painfully shy”. That was me…so shy it hurt to be that way. I hated school because of it…not the books and the learning part of school, but the social interaction that was expected of me there. I would go all day without saying a word if allowed to…till I got home where I felt safe and accepted. There somebody was always asking, “Don’t you ever shut up?”

Once I had Jesus in my life it slowly became easier for me to relate to others. I feel this was because after being saved I no longer felt alone. He was always right there helping me get through every day and every situation that came up. The church members truly became like family. They loved me, I loved them and God loved us all. Life was good and unlike a lot of people I can look back and say that the majority of my teenage years were the happiest years of my life. Being a Christian is more than being a member of a church, it is who I am…a follower of and believer in Christ: God’s own son whom He sent to earth for the sole purpose of dying for my sins…for the whole world’s sins! Nothing in my life since, not falling love and getting married, having three children and six grand children, has exceeded the joy I felt…and still feel…just knowing that He is there and that He loves me! If God is for me, who can be against me?

This explanation of my Christian faith is a preamble to what I would like to share with you concerning Jesus and His place in society today. If not for Him there would be no society or a world as we have known it so far. It looks to me like the creator of our universe should always be placed at the top of everything. I’ve heard people say life didn’t come with instructions, but it did. His Word, the Holy Bible. is where our instructions are found. There are ten commandments which were written in stone and one more he added to the list that He said was most important: Love one another! That is our most important instruction of all. We all need to ask ourselves: Are we doing this? Do we really love one another? Do we show love in our everyday activities and in how we interact with others? Too many of us have taken the safe route and seem to confine our love to our close family and a few friends. The churches continue to preach to the choir, meaning the people who already know the story and most of whom have accepted Christ into their hearts. But did Jesus spend most of His time among us in the temple? He went out among the people telling and showing everyone he met about God. When He left us He left us with the commission to “Go ye therefore into all the world.” We are to be spreading the word that Jesus saves. His love is the power that moves the world for good.

Evil seems to be trying to take over God’s world and His people. His commandments are being removed from government buildings, worship of Him forbidden in various places, Christians are being targeted and labeled as “haters”…this in a country that has always been considered a Christian nation!

Why have we, His children, allowed this to happen? Maybe it’s time we become a church without walls and take the message of Christ into the streets and to the people who are hurting. Whether it be something as simple as low self esteem or vastly more serious circumstances, all people are suffering and need to know that God is the answer…the only answer… to whatever their problems are. It is only with His divine intervention that suffering and hatred and evil will be overcome!

My greatest desire is to see God’s people step up and allow Him to lead us out of this world of hurt and into the brightness of a renewed life in Him. If this is to happen there must be nation-wide revival. Crusades and revivals need to be happening in every state. Pastors of every denomination need to come together and make this happen! A march for Jesus needs to take place in every community in our country. It’s time to return to our roots and let the world see that we still are ONE NATION UNDER GOD!!

Thank you for sharing with us Betty! We look forward to next time! Thank you Brenda for making the connection!