A while back, a friend of mine posted a challenge question in our private Facebook group. The question was, ‘If you could go back and tell your 17-year-old self just FOUR words, what would you say?” My first reaction was to think what I could spare myself, but the more I thought about the hard things I’ve faced in life, the more I realized that the hard things were good for me.

Challenges in parenting, work, and school made me stronger and gave me confidence.

My experience with debt made me wiser about spending.

Difficult relationships taught me patience.

The only thing I could think of that didn’t make me better in the long run is my long-time battle with my weight. So I decided that my four words would be, “Your metabolism WILL fail.” Maybe coming from my own mouth in four strong, declarative words, seventeen-year-old Karah would believe it and do something about it. But I know me. Young Karah would roll her eyes, crack open another can of soda, and go on believing that she wouldn’t have to deal with that for a long time yet.

But the question made me wonder. What if 70-year-old Karah could say four words to 30-something Karah? Or what if Karah spending eternity in heaven could come back and tell earthly Karah just four words. I can guarantee you she wouldn’t be warning me about my metabolism.

Hug your loved ones.

Love like Jesus did.

Give more to missions.

Live to serve others.

Foster or adopt children.

Live your faith openly.

Tell people about Jesus.

This is the message that Jesus left heaven to give us:
Matthew 22:34-40 – Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

I know that most of my blog readers are Christians. But if you’re not, or if you’re not sure, I want you to have a chance to hear about Jesus:
– Jesus is the son of God himself, and he came to earth willingly to take on the form of a man. As fully man and fully God, he lived out a perfect, sinless life, and then willingly died on a cross, the death of a criminal, to pay the price for the sins of all mankind. John 3:16-17 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”

– Saved from what? From sin that separates us from God. The day will come when you will die, we all will, and you will stand before God the judge. You don’t have to earn God’s forgiveness or be “good enough” for God. In fact, we never can. Jesus covered our bill. We just have to accept it. Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord.”

– So what do you do? It’s pretty simple. If you accept that you are a sinner who needs a savior, and you understand that Jesus is that savior: that he came and lived a sinless life and died to pay the price for your sins, all you have to do is believe in your heart and confess it with your mouth. Romans 10:9-10 says, “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” It’s really that simple, but it will change your life.

-If you would like to pray today to accept Jesus, say this simple prayer (or put it in your own words. The words themselves don’t save you, only faith in Jesus can save you): God, I know that I am a sinner. Thank you that your son, Jesus, died on the cross to pay the price for my sins. I accept your free gift of salvation. Thank you for your forgiveness, and for making a way for us to be saved. Amen.”

If you decided to follow Jesus, and you prayed to accept his free gift of salvation, you are saved! Drop me an email at connect@foodshelffriday.com and I will get you some information to help you begin your journey as a follower of Jesus!