I Believe...Really?

I met a young man the other day. I’d say he was about 19 years old or so. He wanted to talk. Life just wasn’t going the way he wanted…he had gotten fired from his last job, borrowed money to take a trip, enjoyed himself but now he was in debt. He had gotten another job and just wasn’t sure about life. His father is an alcoholic and has been since as long as the boy can remember. He sounded tired and his life really hadn’t even begun yet!

The good side is that he has dreams! He has already made a decision to stay on the right side of the law. In fact, he wants to make a career working for the DEA or the Department of Justice. We talked for awhile about a wide range of subjects; God, being debt free, saving before spending (what a concept, eh?) and we talked about and prayed for his dad. No one becomes an addict without going through some serious pain. We prayed, not for his dad to quit drinking, …he might just substitute one addiction for another…we prayed that his dad would receive Jesus Christ.

When I asked my young friend if he believed in Christ, he said he did but that he didn’t go to the church....

We talked a bit about how church can be boring at times. I likened it to any school. Church is school for the spirit. Some classes are interesting and others put you to sleep. I tried to explain that he will like some of his criminal justice classes more than others but if he wanted to be the best at any career he chose, he would have to study under a master. It was no different with his spiritual studies. We talked a bit about the Bible. I always recommend the Book of James. To me it’s a short practical guide to living life.

The next day, I re-read the Book of James and as I did so, I wondered what my friend of yesterday would see in those five chapters. In James 2:19 it reads “You believe there is one God; you do well. The devils also believe and tremble.” He said he believed in God. I should have asked him what that meant. What did he believe in exactly?

I thought of all the people who tell me that they “believe” but don’t go to church; they don’t study who God says they are. If we want a good job, we go to college or trade school to study. If we want a good body, we study nutrition and exercise. Want to be a great farmer? Study agriculture. Want to be a great pharmacist? Study chemistry. Want to be a good man or woman? Study God’s Word! Find out who God says you are and through it you will find out who God is!

The next time someone tells me they believe…I’m going to ask them “What is it you believe? I don’t want to miss an opportunity to tell people about our wonderful God on the assumption they “believe.”