EVEN MORE - Testimonies of those who have found more.

The Prodigal Son's Brother

Most good stories about being a Christian come from people who were missing God for part or most of their lives. They didn't know how empty or incomplete their lives were until they discovered they joy of having Christ. I don't have a good story - I've been in the church my whole life.

That fact tends to make me more like the prodigal son's brother instead of the prodigal son. Sometimes it makes me thankful for the blessing of always having a Christian atmosphere and family to belong to, but more often it makes me jealous that I don't have a better story to tell. As I sat back and thought about the question, though, of how Jesus adds more to my life, I believe I've brought out more of the thankful side of being a life-long Christian.

What would my life look like if Jesus had not been part of it? I have to try and picture my life as a film developer would look at the negatives before seeing the finished product: the opposite of what it looks like now.

On the surface it looks like life would almost be better: I wouldn't have to spend time at church on Sundays, don't have to put money in the offering, don't have to feel guilty every time I do something wrong... maybe I should try not being a Christian...

But then I remember that most of my friends are at the church, and many of the activities I enjoy are connected to the church or people who go to my church. It would be really hard to leave all those people, but I'm sure there are many nice people outside the church, too. I think relationships are the biggest thing that keeps people connected to a church, at least initially. When you have people that are not related to you care about you without wanting $19.95 plus shipping and handling from you, you feel great.

So while people might be a good reason I'm still connected with the church I'm at, it's not the best reason. I think there are mean and dysfunctional people many places, especially in churches, but since people aren't the main reason I stay, it's okay to have all kinds of people in the church, even ones I don't always get along with.

The biggest reason that I'm a Christian and I stay connected to the church is peace. I cannot imagine the turmoil in my life without my identity as a redeemed child of God. It's no secret that I mess up, especially not a secret to me, and if I wanted to somehow declare myself worth something to someone knowing how untrue that is, it would kill me. I might be able to do it for a while, but it would be a farce, and it would eventually tear me up from the inside out.

Without God, there would be no one in control, and without a loving God who would die for me, my life would be out of control. It's a peace that passes human understanding, a peace that the world cannot give.