Q:
No one in my family has any use for God. They even make fun of people who go to church or say they believe in God. But I have a yearning inside me to know God, although I know they'll just laugh at me. I don't know why I'm writing, but maybe you can suggest something. I am 16.
A:
It isn’t by accident that you have this yearning to know God; God Himself has put it there. I sincerely pray you won’t ignore it, because God wants to change your life — and He will, as you open your heart and life to Him.
Instead, I pray that you’ll nurture this desire and seek to make it grow — the same way you might blow on a spark to get a fire going. No doubt you love your family, but I suspect you also realize that something is missing in their lives — and that “something” is God. May that not be true of your life.
What should you do? First, even if you’ve never prayed before, stop and thank God for giving you a desire to know Him. Then by a simple prayer of faith ask Jesus to come into your life. You may not understand everything right now, but God rewards even a little faith. Jesus said, “Whoever comes to me I will never drive away” (John 6:37).
Then ask God to help you with your family — not just to give you courage, but also to help you be a witness to them of Christ’s love and concern. In addition, ask Him to lead you to a church where you can grow in your faith. Jesus’ promise is true: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7).
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