Fifty Years Ago
How can someone grow up in the church and not know that they are lost? That’s an answer that many pastors and churches will have to give an account for someday.
Fifty Years Ago
Today is July 15, 2025. That may not mean much to you but it’s a special day for me. Fifty years ago today, I sat down with my pastor, Jim Olson, at a mall in Aurora, Colorado and prayed to dedicate my life to following Jesus.
My life wasn’t all that bad. I grew up in the church and I was going to youth group, saying all the right things and doing all the right stuff. But I didn’t know the Truth. I didn’t know that I was falling short. I didn’t know that I didn’t really have Jesus.
How can that be? How can someone grow up in the church and not know that they are lost? That’s an answer that many pastors and churches will have to give an account for someday.
The apostle Paul once wrote this:
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith.” — 2 Timothy 4:7
When Paul wrote that, he had been a believer for over 30 years. His faithfulness, in the course of his lifetime, is something to admire. It’s worth asking ourselves this question: “Am I as committed to Jesus today as I was when I first made the decision to commit myself to living the rest of my life for Him?”
I’m here to tell you that I have no doubts and no regrets. I don’t have a single desire to go back to what I left. I’ll never have one of those testimonies that people will marvel at and “ooh and aah” over. I’m just me but I praise God that He took me back, even though I had nothing to offer Him. I had put Him in a box, keeping Him at arms length until He made Himself known to me.
It’s been 50 years now and I love Him more today than ever. In fact, I question whether I really DID love Him at first. I mean, I said I did and I felt like I did, but I didn’t really know what love was. I’ve had to learn that over the years.
Those lessons are learned from living long and making all the mistakes I have. I’ve excelled in that area but He has been faithful and patient with me.
I’m here to praise Him for those things and ready to commit another 50 years to Him, or till I see Him face to face!
Amen and amen!
