My Answer: Harvesting faith, hope and love

Question: When I was in my teens, I was very active in our church’s youth group, and I took God very seriously. But now I’m all wrapped up in my family and my career, and I hardly ever think about God. What do you think happened?

—Mrs. K.R.

A: Your letter probably provides the clue to what happened: You became so concerned and preoccupied with other things that God simply got pushed aside.

I couldn’t help but think of Jesus’ parable of the seed and the sower (you can read it in the eighth chapter of Luke). In it, He told about a farmer who went out to plant seeds in his field. Some seeds fell on good soil and produced a bountiful crop, but some fell on the hard pathway, or on rocky ground, or among thorns, and never produced anything of lasting value.

This, Jesus said, is like God’s Word as it seeks to take root in our souls. When we welcome God’s Word and take steps to protect it and help it grow, it produces a harvest of faith and hope and love. But when our hearts are hard or unwelcoming, the Word of God fails to take root and our faith withers. He warned, “The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but ... they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature” (Luke 8:14).

Don’t let this happen to you — or if it already has, confess it to God and ask Him to help you put Christ at the center of your life. Then welcome Him into every area of your life, and nurture the “soil” of your soul every day by praying and reading the Bible, and becoming active (with your family) in a church where Christ is preached and lived.

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Q: I don’t necessarily disagree with what preachers say about Jesus and everything, but I honestly don’t feel any need for God. What would you say to someone like me?

—Z.W.

A: The first thing I’d say is that I feel sorry for you — because without God you’ll miss life’s greatest joy. He alone gives lasting meaning and purpose to life, and He alone can make our lives complete. After all, He made us, and He knows what is best for us.

But I’d also urge you to reconsider whether or not you need God. No, you may not feel that you need Him, but could your feelings be deceiving you? How do you know, for example, whether or not the road you’re on is the right one? Or what will you do when that road turns bumpy — when your relationships turn sour, or your health deteriorates, or all your plans fail? Where will you turn? Most of all, where will you turn for hope and assurance when death stares you in the face?

Let me challenge you to do two things. First, I challenge you to pray. That may sound strange, but I challenge you to ask God to show you if you need Him, and to give you a desire to put your life into His hands. The Bible says, “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near” (Isaiah 55:6).

Second, I challenge you to look at Jesus Christ. If you’re like most people, you haven’t thought much about Him or investigated His life and teachings, but I challenge you to do so. Read through one of the Gospels (I suggest John) and discover who He is and what difference He can make in your life. Your life will never be the same.

BILLY GRAHAM, the founder of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Assn. in Charlotte, N.C., has preached the Gospel to over 210 million people in more than 185 countries and territories.