I grew up believing in Jesus Christ , but I didn't really have a close relationship with Him. It's like you hear people say, I knew of Him but I didn't really know Him. Growing up, I always thought my top priorities were my family, friends, and career. What more is there to life, right?
When I was in my twenties, I remember having my dream job, my own place, close friends, pretty much everything you can ever ask for. But there were moments in my life where I felt so unhappy. I felt my life was lacking something; I even felt paralyzed. Soon I looked for that feeling of happiness in all I could think of, even the worst places, always going back home knowing I had failed finding it.
I had a friend who I grew up with who was different from others. She was always happy, even in the most unfortunate situations in life— joy was the light she carried with her. I wondered what made her so happy, that I didn't have?
I reconnected with her some years later and learned of her love for reading the word of God and praying. She shared the foundation of her happiness was Jesus Christ and that I could find out for myself if what she was saying was true. I said to myself, I've tried everything else, what do I have to lose?
It wasn't until I started doing those things that I learned what Jesus had done for me and what He could mean in my life if I worked on having a relationship with Him too. I slowly started to feel my heart change— I suddenly felt free, with a renewed desire to live life.
That gap was filling in slowly and I could feel it. Because I could feel His love, I felt peace, despite all my mistakes. I felt like a different person, having a kind of happiness I had never felt. How does Jesus make me happy?
He's dragged me out of my darkness and into the light; He has blessed me with unimaginable peace; He's accepted my every weakness and has confidence that I can be more that what I am in my own eyes. He's given me more reasons to be happy than the things I thought would give me just that. The closer I get to Him, the happier I am.
He is my friend. This is the kind of happiness only He can give, and it's available to all who want to find out for themselves.