It’s not about the choices you made in the past though. It is best to learn to process the past, accept it and move forward. The quality of your life is primarily about the choices you make today and tomorrow. You can choose to change your life for the better at any time; often all it takes is believing it can be better. It sometimes takes a leap of faith, and even small changes can be scary, so I understand the anxiety that moving forward may hold for many people. As someone who has been there and made that choice though, let me tell you, it’s worth it. It’s worth the pain, the uncertainty, the fear; all of it. And that’s what courage is, “the decision that something is more important than fear.”
Don’t be afraid to believe in a better future for yourself, just because you messed up in the past. Even if it was 5 minutes ago, that’s the past now; it doesn’t have to define you. It’s never too late to start moving towards a brighter tomorrow; and if God is for you, what can stand against?
If you have not yet accepted Jesus as your savior, that is the most important choice you will ever have the opportunity to make, and I would like to invite you to know for sure that you are saved and going to heaven.
We have all sinned, and the result of this sin is separation from the perfect God. We justly deserve death because of this sin, but through Jesus we can attain life, because God loves us, he made himself human to come down and die for us.
“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”
Romans 3:23
“But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.”
Isaiah 59:2
“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Romans 6:23
“And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.”
Hebrews 9:22
God loves us very much, so he sent his son Jesus, fully God and fully man, as the perfect sacrifice to cover all sins for all time for those who believe.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”
John 3:16-17
“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.”
Romans 5:8-9
All we must do is believe on the Lord Jesus and we shall be saved.
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
John 14:6
“And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.”
Acts 16:31
“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”
Romans 10:9
We can know we are saved if we truly trust in Jesus alone, and nothing else.
“These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.”
1 John 5:13
“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;”
Titus 3:5
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
Ephesians 2:8-9
If you have already accepted Jesus and just want life to start getting better, the easiest way to proactively improve your life is fairly simple… Though it may come with its own hurdles, it is worth prioritizing these above all else. First, pray to God regularly and often; try to remember to be thankful to set your mindset in a more positive frame, but don’t be afraid to cry out in pain or anger if that’s what you feel you need right now, and make your requests to God. He hears us and he’ll give us what we need, when we need it; but he wants us to be putting our priorities in order, and I will tell you from experience, prayer works miracles and makes a huge difference. Believe in your prayers; anything we pray for in God’s will, will be done.
Second, read the bible and make it a regular habit. Read it at least once a day, around the same time, preferably first thing to set up the day right. Just start with 5-10 minutes a day to set up the habit, but try to aim for a half hour each morning and you’ll start to notice great things. The bible is the most direct way that God talks to us, if you pray that’s wonderful, but God wants to talk to you too.
A good place to start reading the bible is the book of John. Also good would be Romans, Galatians, Proverbs, Acts, and Psalms. This is by no means a comprehensive list, and ultimately it is a good idea to read all of it, eventually. But certain parts should certainly be read first and more often.