Why I Chose to Follow Jesus

Alcoholics Anonymous helped me admit that I could not fix everything by myself. It taught me humility, surrender, honesty, and the need for help from a Power greater than myself.

That was an important beginning, but it eventually led me to a deeper question:

I did not want to leave the answer permanently undefined. I wanted to investigate the spiritual claims available to me and decide which one I believed was true.

I believe many religions and philosophies contain wisdom, moral teaching, discipline, beauty, and sincere people. I do not think that everyone outside Christianity is foolish, dishonest, or without anything valuable to say.

At the same time, the major religions make different claims about God, humanity, sin, salvation, death, and what ultimately happens to us. Those claims sometimes contradict one another, so I could not honestly conclude that every path teaches the same truth.

• I did not become convinced that God is merely an impersonal force, energy, or higher state of consciousness.
• I did not become convinced that human beings can solve the deepest problem within us through enlightenment, self-improvement, ritual, moral effort, or spiritual technique alone.
• I did not become convinced that reincarnation or repeated lifetimes best explained human identity, justice, suffering, and hope.
• I did not become convinced that newer spiritual movements had the same historical foundation or authority as the claims surrounding Jesus.
• I respected the seriousness of Judaism and Islam, but I could not accept a view of Jesus that reduced Him to only a teacher, prophet, or misunderstood religious figure.

These are only brief summaries of my own conclusions. They are not complete descriptions of every religion, denomination, school, or individual believer.

The more I studied Jesus, the more I saw that He was not presenting Himself as one spiritual teacher among many.

• He spoke with authority about God, sin, forgiveness, and eternal life.
• He claimed the authority to forgive sins.
• He accepted worship.
• He spoke of a unique relationship with God the Father.
• He willingly went to the cross.
• His followers proclaimed that He rose from the dead.

That left me with a serious decision. If Jesus was only a moral teacher, then some of His claims would be very difficult to explain. But if He truly is who He claimed to be, then He cannot simply be added to a list of equally valid spiritual options.

One of the most important differences for me was the Christian message of grace.

I already knew what it was like to fail, feel ashamed, make promises, try harder, and discover that willpower alone was not enough. I did not need another system that only told me to become worthy.

The gospel told me that I could not earn my way back to God, but that God had acted on my behalf through Jesus Christ. Forgiveness was not a prize for finally becoming perfect. It was a gift offered to someone who admitted that he needed mercy.

I remain deeply grateful for Alcoholics Anonymous and for the people who helped me get sober. Recovery taught me to admit the truth, ask for help, make amends, serve others, and live one day at a time.

But for me, sobriety eventually opened the door to a larger spiritual search. AA helped me recognize that I needed a Higher Power. My faith in Jesus gave that Higher Power a name, a character, and a story.

I do not believe that becoming a Christian means I suddenly understand everything or never struggle. I still have questions. I still make mistakes. I still need grace every day.

What changed is that I no longer believe I am facing life alone.

Please do not believe Christianity simply because I believe it. Do not reject it because of a bad experience, an angry internet argument, a hypocritical Christian, or a shallow summary.

Read the Gospels. Study the historical claims. Compare what Jesus taught with the teachings of other religions. Consider both thoughtful believers and thoughtful critics.

Ask God for wisdom, even if you are not yet sure what you believe about Him.