In our world today there are literally hundreds if not thousands of different belief systems. Each belief system claims to be the best to live by. So, the question before us is which belief system or worldview provides us with the best framework for living life.
Back in 1980, before I became a Christian in 1981, my worldview was that of atheism. However, even though I had a great education, a great job, and in the eyes of the world a great future, I felt empty inside. As a result, I began a one year intensive quest to find out what my purpose in life was. I read about 25 books on all kinds of belief systems from eastern mysticism, and Silva Mind Control, to transcendental meditation, and a study of the different world religions. I even visited a Buddhist Monastery in New York City. After all of this reading and experiencing these various worldviews I was even more confused than before and had more questions than answers.
One day, a friend of mine, from New York University, where I received my MBA in finance, invited me to attend his church in Staten Island, New York City. I never went to a Christian Church before, but I was searching for meaning and decided to go. After this Friday night church service a guy came up to me and started to talk about Jesus, and that I was a sinner, who needed Jesus to save me from my sins. I thought he was crazy, but I politely listened to him anyway.
I stayed over my friend’s house that night and the following day he handed me a copy of the New Testament and told me to read it. Well, I read the entire New Testament in a week, and it said things I had never heard before – about Jesus being God, me being a sinner, and how accepting Jesus as my Lord and Savior guaranteed me eternal life. I guess the Holy Spirit was working on my heart because over the next six months I bought and read the entire Bible twice, visited and bought about 10 books on Christianity from the Christian book store, and on October 12, 1981 I realized for the first time that I was indeed a sinner, and that Jesus was God. And at approximately 11 PM that night I gave my heart to the Lord! Little could I have realized back then that by accepting Christ and Christianity, I had tapped into the best worldview system on how to live the best life possible!
In tomorrow’s, Part II of this devotion, I plan to share why Christianity is by far the best belief system on earth, and why it offers, no matter what struggles you may have to deal with in life, the ability to successfully triumph over these trials. In addition, only Christianity promises its followers abundant peace, consistent joy, rich meaning, and the certainty of eternal life!