I grew up in an Irish/Italian atmosphere with strict rules for behavior. You must obey the Ten Commandments. You must fast from meat on Fridays. You must go to church every Sunday. Don’t curse. Don’t smoke. Obey all the rules. And then, when your life is over, you’ll be rewarded with Heaven.

As I got older I found my belief in God wavering because I broke so many of the rules.  I just couldn’t see how I would be making it to heaven. Then I encountered other Christians who encouraged me to pray, to read the Scriptures, and to ask for God’s Holy Spirit to guide me.

I started maturing spiritually. I finally realized that those well intentioned people, who had told me to be good to make it into Heaven, had the cart before the horse. God’s Word revealed to me that I was a sinner. But, I could cry out to Our Heavenly Father and ask for His forgiveness. He would put my sins on Jesus who died for me. I needed to trust Him and allow His Holy Spirit to guide me.

As I look back, I realize the angels that came into my life at various times. There was Mother Theofila, a Franciscan nun, and a priest named Father Byrne. When I was concerned about getting to Heaven, a very special cousin advised me to pray for God’s guidance and trust in Jesus for my salvation.

As the Scriptures say, when we first believed, we were like babies. We can mature gradually by reading Scripture. With the help of the Holy Spirit, we can grow into Gods purpose for our lives. Amen?

Remember, God loves YOU unconditionally!  Maranatha.

Joey

“Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.”  Ephesians 4:14-15