A: The first thing I’d say is that I feel sorry for you — because without God you’ll miss life’s greatest joy. He alone gives lasting meaning and purpose to life, and He alone can make our lives complete. After all, He made us, and He knows what is best for us.
But I’d also urge you to reconsider whether or not you need God. No, you may not feel that you need Him, but could your feelings be deceiving you? How do you know, for example, whether or not the road you’re on is the right one? Or what will you do when that road turns bumpy — when your relationships turn sour, or your health deteriorates, or all your plans fail? Where will you turn? Most of all, where will you turn for hope and assurance when death stares you in the face?
Let me challenge you to do two things. First, I challenge you to pray. That may sound strange, but I challenge you to ask God to show you if you need Him, and to give you a desire to put your life into His hands. The Bible says, “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near” (Isaiah 55:6).
Second, I challenge you to look at Jesus Christ. If you’re like most people, you haven’t thought much about Him or investigated His life and teachings, but I challenge you to do so. Read through one of the Gospels (I suggest John) and discover who He is and what difference He can make in your life. Your life will never be the same
Q: My yoga teacher is interested in all kinds of religions, and she says that what we need to do to find God (or “spiritual enlightenment,” as she terms it) is to empty our minds of everything, and then we’ll experience the divine. Is this what Jesus taught? — Mrs. P.J.
A: No, this isn’t what Jesus taught, and I hope you won’t go down the path your yoga teacher is suggesting. I don’t doubt her sincerity, and I also don’t doubt that she’s searching for God — but I also want to assure you that Jesus would point her in a different direction.
Why is this? The reason is because only one thing separates us from God, and that is our sin. God is pure and holy, and the reason we are separated from Him is because we’ve chosen to go our own way. As the Bible says, “Your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you” (Isaiah 59:2).
This is why we need Jesus Christ, because He came into the world to forgive us and cleanse us from sin. Only then can we know God, for only then will the barrier between God and our souls be erased. Emptying our minds of the things that distract us may bring some people a measure of peace — but our greatest need is to be at peace with God. That only comes as we turn to Christ in repentance and faith.
By faith open your life to Jesus Christ. When you do, He’ll not only forgive you, but He’ll make you part of God’s family forever. Then pray for your teacher, that she too will give her life to Christ. Then “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7).
Send your queries to “My Answer,” c/o Billy Graham, Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, 1 Billy Graham Parkway, Charlotte, N.C., 28201; call 1-(877) 2-GRAHAM, or visit www.billygraham.org.
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