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How can you know you have a genuine connection with Jesus? I know Jesus is the truth, but there are times when I wonder if my faith is my own or molded by the beliefs of others. Whether you were raised in Christianity or are a new believer, I'm guessing you've had those moments too. Yes, Jesus is in our hearts from the moment we accept Him, but that's only the beginning of our transformation. Our faith isn't saved up in a jar; it has ups and downs. While God remains the same, our understanding of Him changes throughout our lives. No matter how much Scripture we analyze or how many spiritual moments we experience, we will still have times when we feel lost - because we're human. Evaluating our faith is scary because it means looking at ourselves. Every relationship has two sides, including with Jesus. His love is unchanging, but how we receive it changes in us. How can we return to the root of our faith to fully embrace our personal relationship with Jesus?
Here are the two most important questions we can ask:
If someone asked you this question, what would you say? What resources would you direct them to? Review the proof that Jesus is the Son of God. Knowing Jesus is about so much more than believing the evidence, but we open ourselves to growth when we stand strong in our understanding of the facts. Reading the Gospel reminds us why we believe it is the one truth, which is our foundation when we compare other beliefs. If you want to look at your faith without influence, read about Jesus without commentary from outside sources. Pray for wisdom as you do so, and allow yourself to question and reflect. It's great to gain insight from people with more biblical knowledge, but sometimes we need to pick up the Bible as if we just discovered it. When we read about the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, it's hard to deny how it changes everything.
This question is where we really dive into faith - "being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." The Bible shows that Jesus gave His life for all of us, even in our worst moments. Still, having an "everyone but me" mentality is human nature. We doubt that we're anything more than a tiny speck to God, or we think He must hate us. In our minds, we don't have tangible proof that right now, God loves us for who we are. We couldn't be more wrong! When we open our eyes to God's hand in our lives, we can see how deeply He treasures us. Even in the imperfections and the pain, God shows us there is grace and beauty. No matter where we've been or what we've done, we can always find hope for our future because that's how much we mean to Him. When we take time to process what this means for ourselves as individuals, we gain an intimate thankfulness and love for our Savior.
God is there when we seek Him. Does He give us a sign whenever we ask for one? No. When we do experience signs of His presence, will that sustain our faith forever? Also no. Being a disciple is what shows us who God is. As we work to be like Him, we learn more about His character, and we see the proof of Him in us and the world around us. Being a disciple of Jesus isn't just holding on to what we've learned; it's about becoming new in God every day.
Written Content Coordinator at Sun Valley Community Church. An avid writer since the age of 5, who loves to explore new ideas and places. Inspired by Jesus, books, and travel.