I still remember that day. It was the early 80s and I was a teenager sitting in the back seat of our car. Somebody at a stop light handed my parents some beautiful color posters to read, and they quickly handed them to me in the back seat. Then they stopped at a place where they had some business and left me alone in the car for a while. As I had nothing else to do, I picked up the posters and glanced at them. They had a picture in the front and a message at the back about salvation and the gift of eternal life through Jesus.
Having been raised in a Hindu family, I was familiar with spiritual and religious matters. I had some favorite deities in the Hindu pantheon of gods that I liked to pray to, and I was also interested in other religions, like Buddhism and Islam. However, the Christian concept of salvation being a gift was new to me.
The text at the back of the posters concluded with a prayer to invite Jesus into one’s heart. I couldn’t imagine that such a monumental thing like salvation could be obtained so easily, but I thought there was no harm in trying. After praying the prayer, I felt a profound sense of peace, and any skepticism or doubt vanished.
That memorable day marked the start of the greatest adventure of my life. It was my first encounter with the God who created this amazing world and everything in it.
There have been times when I’ve been willful and haven’t wanted to acknowledge His presence, and also difficult times when I didn’t feel His presence and comfort as much as I would have liked. But through it all, He has always been there for me and blessed me with His unconditional love. The Bible says that “we walk by faith, not by sight.” 1 The Christian walk is one of faith in an all-powerful and sovereign God who loves us and wants to give meaning and purpose to our lives. Over the years of my believing in Jesus, He has proven Himself to me over and over. He’s been my best and most intimate friend.
If you don’t know Jesus yet, you can start with a simple prayer:
Dear Jesus, please come into my life and give me Your free gift of salvation. Forgive me for the wrong things I’ve done and help me get to know You better and stay by Your side. Amen.
- 2 Corinthians 5:7↑