Chona MalinogSingles often ask couples how their love stories unfold. We have Toni Gonzaga and Paul Soriano, Team Kramer, and Sarah and Matteo Gudicelli—the list can go on. And it is indeed interesting to know how these couples met and knew each other. It leaves singles fume with hopes that their own love stories will unfold gloriously as well.
But how about your love affair with God?
How did your relationship with Him start?
Do you remember the time when you finally decided to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour?
How was your journey before your Christian life?
How did God captivate you?
Isn’t it more interesting to know how a Christian’s journey with God began?
Some, if not all, might have started with a question, “Where is God?”
Even the disciples of Jesus started their walk with Him with this question, “Where do you live?” to which Jesus answered, “Come and see.” (John 1: 38-39)
Today, many still ask, “God, where can I find you?” But unlike thousands of years ago, God will not answer directly saying, “Come and see.” Instead, he poetically answers “When you seek me with all your heart, you will find me.” (Jeremiah 29:13)
Most of us started with many questions about the existence of the Most High and about our very own purpose in life.
Does God really exist?
Where is He?
And most often, these questions lead us to the path of Christianity.
In the Book of John, there is a wonderful prelude to the disciples’ question of Jesus’ residence.
Before they asked Jesus “Where do you live?” John the Baptist declared first that Jesus was the Lamb of God! (John 1:35-36)
What does that tell of us? It simply tells us of the requisite to recognize that we are in need of a redeemer—a savior.
We cannot ask where God is if we don’t acknowledge our need and hunger for Him.
Can you remember how you ended up praying the Sinner’s Prayer sincerely, weepingly, and desperately calling Jesus to be the Lord of your life?
Maybe you were in the midst of overwhelming troubles.
Maybe you were tired of life’s confusion.
Maybe you were desperately needing of an extraordinary answer as you asked, “God, where are You?”
And there you tried to utter words—trying to connect with the spiritual realm and hear God say “Come and see.”
Then in the most wonderful of ways, a person came to you and brought you to the House of the Lord.
Or it could be like you yourself, driven with inexplicable motivation, approached your Christian friend and asked him/her to usher you to God’s presence.
And you just knew, right then and there, you found God!
Should you be reminded about the overwhelming feeling you had upon knowing God personally and closely?
You could see the skies more clearly. Gone was the darkness that once enveloped you. Your problems were still there but they did not matter anymore. You could not help it—you were captivated by a heavenly love!
John 3:16 became more meaningful to you! Yes, you could not fathom how the Most High dearly loves you!
“ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son…”
And slowly, you continued to recite the verse “…and that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
You finally found God!
But hey, you cannot take credit for finally finding Him!
God is saying, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last.” (John 15:16)
See that? Read it again, slowly and yes with full comprehension.
After all, it was not you who found God.
It was Him who pursued you—like how a man woos a woman and takes her as a bride.
But it’s not just all that there is!
God said you should go and bear fruit.
Back
in the Book of John, “ Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have
found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets
also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
“Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked.
“Come and see,” said Philip.
Philip, upon knowing that they have found the Messiah, told Nathanael about Him.
Maybe upon reading this, you are already in days, months, or years of being in a relationship with Jesus.
Somebody who’s not a believer asks you of your Christian faith. How do you respond?
How do you go and bear fruit? How do you say “Come and see”?
“You are the light of the world…” (Matthew 5:4)
When atheists bully you, how do you react?
“…In your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” (1 Peter 3:5)
When your worldly friends tease you as weird because of your faith, how do you stand with your faith?
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,” (Colossians 3:23)
How do you just go and bear fruit?
How do “you show that you are a letter from Christ…written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts”? (2 Corinthians 3:3)
Yes, God chose us to be Heaven’s media people—to be his newsletters—His storytellers of our glorious love story with Jesus!
Does it appear clear to you now? You were captivated to captivate! And not just to captivate, but to captivate others toward Jesus!
Captivate that someone who asks you of your Christian faith!
Captivate that somebody who is intrigued by your Christian lifestyle—all the more that you should be intriguing in a godly way!
Captivate that atheist who bullies you and refutes your godly Facebook posts—all the more that you should be posting biblical messages!
Captivate your worldly friends who find authentic Christianity weird! “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:2)
Because when you do this, you are unknowingly sowing seeds of faith in them.
You see, one day, your worldly friends will see the goodness of living a holy life. Your bullies will one day bow down to their knees and acknowledge Jesus as Lord. (Philippians 2:10-11)
Your “weirdness” will lead to someone’s salvation!
The question now is not on how you were captivated by God, but how will you captivate others for His Kingdom?
Yes, you were captivated to captivate (but oops) not a lover but a believer!
