Question: I used to go to church, and I still believe in Jesus and that I am a Christian. But I have drifted into doing some things that I know I should not be doing. How can I keep from messing up my life all the time?
Answer: You mentioned that you believe in Jesus. Historians will tell you that Jesus really lived as a man on the earth, and the archeological evidence proves it. But have you believed that Jesus is the Son of God who died for your sins and was raised from the dead? If you accepted that Jesus’ death saved you from punishment for your sins, then you are a Christ-follower, or Christian. God sent a part of Himself, the Holy Spirit, into your heart and mind to guide you in all that you would do. You seem to realize that you have been making bad decisions, and this, and the fact that you are asking for help now, is proof that God’s Spirit is revealing to you that God has a better life for you. If you will stay in touch daily with God and ask Him to help you make the right choices, He will! He is always present with you. Remember that God is standing by now to forgive you when you are sorry for the wrongs you have done. You can leave those bad choices behind and move on, asking God to strengthen you to resist those sins which hold you back from being the person He destined you to be.
“If we say that we have no sin, we fool ourselves, and the truth is not in us. But if we confess our sins, He is faithful and fair to forgive us, and He puts our past behind us.” I John 1:8-9
If you continue to make bad, destructive choices in your life, it will lead to a dead end which will never bring you the happiness and security that you long for. God loves you so much that He sent His own Son Jesus into the world to save you (John 3:16). He knew you would make wrong choices and not be able to get back on the right track and stay there without His daily help. A wonderful thing about God is He is always willing to give you another chance and help you to start afresh. He never gives up on you!
“If you trust in Christ, you become a brand-new creation. Your entire, previous life with its sins is in the past, and you begin a new life.” 2 Corinthians 5:17
To keep from making the same mistakes repeatedly (and suffering the terrible consequences), God wants you to read His instructions for your life in the Bible. Find a Bible that is easy to understand, and read it daily. A good place to begin reading is the book of John in the New Testament of the Bible. You will also need Christian friends to encourage and teach you, and the place to meet them is at a church or community Bible study class. Not only will they help and support you in your struggles, but you will be an inspiration to them, too! Intentionally keeping company with other believers makes all the difference as you support, strengthen, and encourage one another. Regularly meeting with other believers will keep you on God’s path. Pray now:
Jesus, I trust you, from this moment, to lead me in my life in everything that I do. I am sorry for the times when I ignored you. I confess that I did not follow you but did only what I wanted, and I have sinned against you and hurt many other people. I ask for a new life, and I submit to your authority over me. I look to you to show me every right choice to make. Amen.
“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day (of Christ’s return) drawing near.” Hebrews 10:24-25
