Salvation is a gift. So, why is it so hard to be saved? I have asked myself this question many times. I see so many people struggle with God’s Ultimate Gift on a daily basis because they think that it carries with it a heavy and burdensome responsibility. They also think that by accepting God into their lives, their lives will change irrevocably and they will never be the same again. And that unknown possibility scares them into looking away from the Gift and staying solidly put in their status quo existence.
I have just two things to say to these people…
First: God’s gift has no strings attached. You don’t earn it, you don’t labor to keep it, and you can’t lose it as long as you believe in your heart that Jesus is the true God and Redeemer. Many people believe that God’s Gift is earned rather than received. They believe they have to jump through certain hoops to deserve salvation and that idea alone becomes too daunting or tiring to fully conceive.
And you know what? They are absolutely right.
If we had to “earn” God’s love… we would never be able to do enough to be worthy of it. Yet, lucky for us, God’s Love is a Gift, given freely and unconditionally. That is why it is called “Grace”– it’s a divine saving.
Second: It is absolutely true that by accepting God into your life, you will be permanently changed… but for the better. Where there was darkness you’ll discover light, where their was doubt, you’ll find faith, and where you felt despair, you’ll suddenly feel hope. All of the sadness you felt from a life half-lived will turn into a joy of a purpose-filled existence. Life won’t be easier, but it will be better once you’ve accepted God’s Gift. Rather than being a blunt and clumsy instrument of this earth, you’ll be a perfectly honed instrument of God.
Know that God’s Gift is just that, a gift, and if you’re ready and willing to reach out for it, you will experience a fullness that will drown out the emptiness that you have felt without Him.
