I hear this all the time from young people. Why are they so stuck? Why do they feel the need to convince themselves? How do they propose to do it? And if God is real, what's the point?
When Jesus asked his disciples to come and follow, they had little knowledge of what they were stepping into. They didn't know that they were following God. They didn't feel they needed to convince themselves of anything much more than, "Hmm, this should be interesting, let's go check it out."
Why don't kids feel that freedom today. Where is the "gospel confidence"? By this I mean, have they heard that the gospel is attractive, that it's good, that it makes sense of the world and us, and that it is apparent to those who are tired, weary and down-trodden. They wear themselves out trying to believe in something and they don't even know what it is!
Have they heard that the gospel is about hope? Have they heard that it's not about joining a club or a clique? Have they heard that it's not just another self-help program? Have they heard that it's actually real?
A friend of mine used to say that the gospel is headline news everyday, the headline news that "JESUS IS ALIVE!" I hope that I can step away from my own posturing and mind-games long enough to consider this news.
We all need to consider this reality. This reality that Jesus is alive changes the game. If it's true, everything changes. Explore it. Search it out. Live it. And hope in it. I believe this is the Christian mandate - whatever mandate means.