Maybe you are one of those drawn to God because you know there is something missing in your life. You may be successful but are like other successful people who have what you would think would make anyone happy - recognition, wealth, an active sex life, yet there is an emptiness. You are not alone as there are countless examples of famous musicians and celebrities who have died much sooner then they should have due to suicide or substance abuse. They had what the world seems to value yet they wanted to escape life. Maybe you are someone who has made one bad choice after another and now are having to deal with the consequences. You may feel you are not worthy because of what you have done in the past. You are really not alone in that regard because none of us are worthy, which is why Jesus had to die for us. The apostle Paul understood this as he spent much of his life persecuting Christians. Your past means nothing to God, it is your future he cares about. Or you just may be someone that wants to know the truth and live the life you were meant to live.
For whatever reason, once you decide you want a life changing relationship with God all you simply have to do is admit you need Him! If you know you need Him you should be ready to follow Him. You have to come to the conclusion you are flawed and can never be good enough to earn your way into any heaven there may be (you can click here for a deeper explanation why we are not good enough to earn our way into heaven). This is why those who have led lives they thought were unworthy end up being the most on fire for God. They know from an understanding of scripture how much God loves them no matter what they have done in the past. Prayer is how you tell God you need and want to follow Him. When you pray you need to tell Him you are sincerely sorry for not living the life He intended for you. When you are not doing the will of God it is called sin, when you are willing to turn from this "sin" it is called repentance. You need to ask God for His forgiveness, understanding God freely forgives you if you are sincere in your desire to be forgiven. You need to let God know you are willing to allow Him to change you into the person He wants you to become.
Once you decide to commit yourself to following God you need to make certain you grow in your faith. Reading the Bible and praying are essential for growth. Attending church is also very important, unfortunately too many Christians downplay the importance of church. A good teaching church will help you to understand scripture as well as show you how to apply Biblical teaching to your life. It is a place to more effectively express your love for God by collectively sharing this love with others. I believe the greatest benefit of attending church is the friendships we should develop. We all are going to need encouragement at one time or another. I have been through some tough times in my life and it has been the encouragement of other believers that has greatly helped me get though these trials. I have also gotten a lot of fulfillment from doing the encouraging as well as receiving it. Good fellowship strengthens us in other ways, like how iron sharpens iron. A new Christian can really benefit from the mentorship of a mature Christian, and mature Christians can benefit from each other as we all need to keep growing in the faith.
Do not let bad experiences keep you from trying to find a church. Christians are not perfect, that is precisely why they are Christians. Just like anything good in life takes time and effort, finding the right church may be no different. If you sincerely pray for God to guide you He will do just that.
For whatever reason, once you decide you want a life changing relationship with God all you simply have to do is admit you need Him! If you know you need Him you should be ready to follow Him. You have to come to the conclusion you are flawed and can never be good enough to earn your way into any heaven there may be (you can click here for a deeper explanation why we are not good enough to earn our way into heaven). This is why those who have led lives they thought were unworthy end up being the most on fire for God. They know from an understanding of scripture how much God loves them no matter what they have done in the past. Prayer is how you tell God you need and want to follow Him. When you pray you need to tell Him you are sincerely sorry for not living the life He intended for you. When you are not doing the will of God it is called sin, when you are willing to turn from this "sin" it is called repentance. You need to ask God for His forgiveness, understanding God freely forgives you if you are sincere in your desire to be forgiven. You need to let God know you are willing to allow Him to change you into the person He wants you to become.
Once you decide to commit yourself to following God you need to make certain you grow in your faith. Reading the Bible and praying are essential for growth. Attending church is also very important, unfortunately too many Christians downplay the importance of church. A good teaching church will help you to understand scripture as well as show you how to apply Biblical teaching to your life. It is a place to more effectively express your love for God by collectively sharing this love with others. I believe the greatest benefit of attending church is the friendships we should develop. We all are going to need encouragement at one time or another. I have been through some tough times in my life and it has been the encouragement of other believers that has greatly helped me get though these trials. I have also gotten a lot of fulfillment from doing the encouraging as well as receiving it. Good fellowship strengthens us in other ways, like how iron sharpens iron. A new Christian can really benefit from the mentorship of a mature Christian, and mature Christians can benefit from each other as we all need to keep growing in the faith.
Do not let bad experiences keep you from trying to find a church. Christians are not perfect, that is precisely why they are Christians. Just like anything good in life takes time and effort, finding the right church may be no different. If you sincerely pray for God to guide you He will do just that.