Donald Miller writes in chapter 8 of A Million Miles in a Thousand Years that the essence of a good story is “a character who wants something and overcomes conflict to get it” (page 48). As a Christian who was once chained to my sins, I yearned for salvation, but I could not get it for myself. Jesus chose to pay the cost for my freedom so that I could receive this salvation as a gift. Now, that I am free from my chains, what do I want? My story is not yet over. What am I pursuing? I think there are several responses to this question. For instance, I could say that I am a music major pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in vocal performance. Or, I am a college girl and honors student who wants a good education. To what end?
To answer this question, I need to think about what it means for me to be a Christian. I believe a Christian is a person who has accepted Jesus’ gift of salvation, who confesses with the mouth that Jesus is Lord, who desires to know Him better and better, and who wants to glorify Him in every thought, word, and action. I do desire to know Jesus better and to praise Him in all that I speak and do. In order to do this, though I must overcome my tendency to rely only on myself. I must ignore my impulse to take over my life and follow my own rules. How is this possible? I must choose to actively pursue a relationship with my Prince, through prayer (conversation with God), through reading the Bible (His story and His love letters to me), through worship (basking in His presence), and through service to others (His image instead of mine).
Why is this my goal? Why am I spending so much time pursuing Jesus? I am free from my sins and I am not going to hell, so why cast myself aside for this God? Jesus is the gateway to salvation. If I walk through the gateway, but continue to live for me, myself, and I, then I essentially accepted the key to unlock my chains but I did not use the key. I do not want to live bound to a chain for the rest of my life, so I must let God unlock the chains and lead me out of the dungeon. But, what truly astounds me is this: Jesus did not have to die. God could have easily killed off Adam and Eve and started over. But, He didn’t. He chose to die to set me free, even though I was a rotten sinner who scoffed at Him. God must be madly in love with me. I definitely want to know Him better.
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