I’m guessing that most of the people who swing by this blog are Christians, or perhaps you were at one point but you no longer identify yourself as one. Either way, this question is for anyone who has personally decided to become a follower of Jesus at some point.
Why did you decide to become a Christian?
I shared my testimony this week with the students at my church, and I told them why I did. I had spent a year investigating the claims of Christ, the resurrection, prophecy, other religions, etc… and I became convinced. I placed my faith in what I believed to be true.
I surrendered to truth.
I walked away from my old life out of obligation. I felt that I had to. I walked away from friendships because I thought I had to. I quit drinking, stealing, drugging, fighting, and lying because I had to. “It’s the least I can do” I would say. I even dated a Christian girl… a really sweet girl, but she was at the opposite end of the dating spectrum for me. She asked me to pray for dinner one night out with friends and I had no idea how to. I said, “You pray, it’s so much prettier“. I was a Christian because I was convinced.
But now I’m a Christian because I’m convinced it’s the best kind of life. I still believe it to be true, but I also believe it to be the best way to live. I honestly enjoyed my old way of living, and I walked away from it expecting some sort of joy in the next life as a reward… but now I’m motivated by the life Jesus offers TODAY. I wasn’t drawn to it at first, but now I’m all in. Joy, pain, suffering, prosperity… whatever. It’s all a part of the abundant life that Jesus came to put on display and invite us into.
What about you?
Were you CONVINCED by truth or were you COMPELLED by a way of life?
ryanguard.net 
i was convinced by truth and still am.
in many ways though, i do find myself living the best life too.
XBOX giveaway….
kidding
but
My friend was a christian, and her mom died of cancer, and I remember her being really strong about it. I mean she cried and all, but she kept talking about this God guy. And I had no idea. And she showed me all of this stuff called the Bible and Church, so I was intrigued. And I got to know it, and began trying to live it even though it felt crazy.
And yes.
Hey-zeus.
I became a Christian because contemplating what happens after death without heaven or hell or anything…rocked my world!
I became a Christian because I knew there was a greater purpose than just simply existing for myself.
I became a Christian because I saw a father in God during a rough time in my family.
I became a Christian because it was the only life I’d known. Growing up in the church I didn’t know there was a choice really. When I was 13, God grabbed my heart and said “Make a choice.” It was then that I truly began to understand the idea of free will. And in the following weeks I looked at what life would be outside of a relationship with Christ. I found that I wasn’t interested in that. Life was everything I wanted it to be, and I knew God had so many awesome things in store for me. His truth, love and grace have been more than enough to keep me following His lead. 🙂
I first started trying to live as a Christian because I wanted something FROM God.
Now I do it because I want to live FOR Jesus.
I walked away from the church halfway through my walk with Jesus. During the entire time I was away, I felt like I had lost a part of myself somewhere in the fray that’s called life. I wanted it back, but it took a string of failures and disappointments for me to finally come home.
Ryan,
I became a “Christian” waaayyy back in the 6th grade. I use the term loosely because I was never really a follower of Christ. It was at camp, and I was never really a popular person in school. But I did make friends with the kids at church and I wanted to be a part of something. I never really changed.
I went down the same path living like a rock star in the military. Had a christian girlfriend as well with the same results. I left the lifestyle because I thought there had to be a better life. So I recommitted my life to following Christ.
Still no change. Which brings me to this point in my life. Why did and why do I follow Christ. Honestly, I don’t know. I pray, read my bible, go to church. But I have not experienced the contentment and peace with life. Life has been nothing but bad luck for me. Everything I think is good that comes into my life from God, always something bad immediately follows which erases the good.
Good life? Don’t really have one. Peace and contentment? Foreign words to me. So to just give it another perspective. I want to be a follower, but I do not have any solid reasons. Seemed I was happier and had happier days back when I was living like a rock star.
It’s a hard knock life for us, it’s a hard knock life for us…
Because if you’re not content yet, then you obviously need to fail harder. 😉
I don’t think I was convinced or compelled. It was a process but not like yours. I had amazing Christians around me, but I didn’t really care how they were living. I feel like mine was more of a rescue. I can’t really explain it but I’m sure you know what I’m talking about. In hindsight, there were seeds planted along my life, but it was just this wave of relief that flooded over me at Young Life camp one week. I can’t remember one message the speaker gave but I just remember feeling like I could finally breathe. Looking back, I was hanging out with Christians that whole week and I had never had so much fun. Everything about that week was perfect. So maybe I was compelled, but I just didn’t know that that’s what was happening. I hope hope hope that in heaven I get to watch that week again, on a big screen, HD style!
When I was young I walked down the aisle of our Baptist church in response to the invitation. Looking back, I didn’t know what I was doing. Then as a teenager I was working construction with a Pastor and I wanted what I had witnessed in his life. He led me to Christ on the job one day. I went to church a few times but not much else changed for me. Then I joined the Army and left my Christianity at the door. After getting out I started dating a Christian woman and recommitted my life to Jesus. There have been times when I have strayed, but looking back, God took care of me even before I became a Christian. Probably in answer to my maternal grand parents prayers. Reflecting on my life, God has done so much for me, including sending His son to die, how can I not believe and follow?
I can’t explain it, but it is something I feel in my heart now. The more I reject sin and sinful behaviour, the closer I feel to God, I clearly see all the blessings God bestows on me and I feel more joy. I can also see how God used some very tough times after becoming a Christian (divorce, bankruptcy and job loss all at once) to rid my life of sin and to mold me in to a better person.
Having something to compare it to, I agree with you, it is the better life.
i became a christian back in the 8th grade after my mom had given her life to Christ and my best friend started bringing me to her church youth group. i think back then it was more of an information thing and hearing about the hole in my heart only Jesus could fill, fully knowing that i felt that hole and wanted it to be complete. it felt so natural to take that step for me. i was already a good girl, over achiever so it wasn’t like it brought me to make a ton of lifestyle changes. but i agree with you about best way to live perspective, rob bell really hit that on the head for me in velvet elvis. “ultimate reality.”
i think as time has gone on, i have experienced the highs and lows, the stretching and the waiting. we did a series on habbakuk @ lc.tv and i definitely know i am in one of the valleys with God right now (b/c of everything with my baby and her future). but i know deep down that He never lets go and i am holding on to Him with all i have.
i had to if I wanted to achieve my career goal of becoming a pastor
I grew up in the church (Cornerstone to be exact…), and always “knew” what Christianity was. It wasn’t until I struggled with an eating disorder and severe depression in high school that I really prayed to God to rescue me. He did, and ever since He hasn’t let me down. I hit the lowest of lows, and the highest of highs with my relationship with God. There have been times when I question why He does what He does, but in the end, I know that so long as I follow God, I’ll be alright. I wasn’t scared of Hell, or praying that when I die, I go to Heaven… Honestly, that didn’t phase me. I just knew that with Him, I could do anything, and that was why I became a Christian and still am. 🙂
loooong story but in short… LOVE. Despite the things I have done in my life, Christians loved and accepted me. I saw them living a life I was jealous of, and through them I saw Jesus.
I have to say I feel similar to Lindsay, to describe the “why” as either convinced or compelled doesn’t seem to fit as well as “process.” I had a hard childhood including very abusive step-dad but this step dad had a wonderful loving Christian mother. My parents became Christian, and very involved in church, and little by little the more I learned of God, I accepted Christ as well. Unfortunately the abuse never changed but the process that I see God carrying me through so much crap is utterly amazing to me now. I felt rescued along the way and now see how He used different people and experiences to shape who I am now. I know I became a Christian the instant I accepted Him in my life at the age of 8 and that I didn’t slowly “become” a Christian over the years. I see the process of events that took place leading up to that event and all the events that followed as God drawing me into His presence. Oh ya, and it was the only way I could live out my dream as a Jr. High youth group volunteer…(Good one Nick)
I am NOT a Christian. I was for fifteen years though and the reason I decided to follow Jesus Christ when I was 14 is because his message of peace and love was what I had been looking for. Treat others how you want to be treated. Love your fellow human. “Yes,” I remember thinking, “…that is how it should be.” I was very impressionable, as most 14 year olds are I suspect, and so I prayed a prayer to accept him in my heart because the people at the church, who I took as authorities on the subject, told me that I had to do that to avoid burning in hell for eternity after I died, but instead get to heaven. Like most people, at that time I was under the false impression that I lacked something and needed something external to make me complete. Now I realize that “god” is actually spirit that transcends time and space, and that I, as a spiritual being along with every other human, am a part of that. It is not about finding the spirit, or “god” or whatever you want to call it, out there somewhere but instead remembering that you and me and we are all spirit, beautiful and love in our essence. We just have to remember, and then we will have the power to choose it. So, there it is…not a bad little bit of heresy if I do say so myself…peace!
I’m one of those who sees ‘Christian’ as an adjective, not a noun. Taking the word “a” out of the question changes it completely. When did you become Christian? (When did you become tall? When did you become funny? etc). Much harder question to answer. I don’t know if I will ever become ‘a Christian’…I’m simply in the process of becoming more Christian every day.
Raised a Christian (not a Christ Follower).
Rebelled in young adulthood as I was never convinced OR compelled.
Came back, spent a year studying (like you) and was THOROUGHLY convinced. Sought forgiveness and upon realization of all He had done for me felt COMPELLED to live for Him. Now I’m convinced that any other way of life for me would be less rich, less fulfilling and less amazing. I love my life in Him. 🙂
Mine was both in a way. I had been presented what the truth was/is–when I was 19–first time I ever heard of one bit of any of it. But I was presented it by someone–my ex–who just presented it so harshly. Then–when I began to gift it a little–little effort–granted it felt so weird–he cheated on me. So–the 3 mos I had been investigating–I did investigate–and hear amazing testimonies from friends—granted all my friends in Orange County were Christians–which thru me for a loop. So I would stay up late–and study–listen with the night auditor. But when the now ex cheated–I gave up on it all, for years to come… with several times I personally on my own saw “signs” He was there. But–easily got back to my way of life. It took tragic marriage- 1st brain surgery after birth of my child– 2 mos after, my now ex beating me– leading me to overdosing over and over to numb pain…. until I just knew it wasn’t filling the void– when I saw the Cornerstone sign in 2003. Started going– and WOW– did He ever keep talking to me– He had His hand on me thru so much– alone raising my child– seizing– yet– kept my heart going back. Living on scraps– sleeping on the floor of the living room of my one bedroom apartment… and yet still feeling more and more of His love… yes– conviction… took near death of my last overdose in 2003 that He sure heard me somehow whisper to Him… but He has plans– still does. I was one never to think twice of any other religion– He just had some sort of shield on me knowing all I had to come– my little kiddo who is so on fire for Him– and me being the only one in the whole family who follows and believes in Christ. He always has amazing plans laid out for us all– we just have a tendency to prolong them some with our free will. Be He is one patient, loving God. And I am so thankful. We are so blessed–He has turned so much ugly stuff–into pure beauty–and worth ever ounce of pain and time– as for it never compares to His.