Finding faith is like falling in love

I heard a song the other day (see lyrics below) and one line spoke volumes to me. I'd lived it. I knew what the singer was saying. It was this: "My life before You, I was a flame burning down."

It was a description of my life lived without God, the loneliness and despair in dark times. The confusion and wandering and self-absorption and feeling lost. I guess this is my testimonial to how committing my life to God and Jesus has changed everything for me. How once I put Them as the focus of all I do, a flame ignited inside me and filled me with warmth and focus, clarity and contentment, and a deep certainty in my heart. 

A pastor I heard once likened finding faith, giving your life to God, being "saved", whatever you want to call it, as like being in a new romance. Like falling in love. In the beginning, you are so overwhelmed by this feeling you've never had before. It's more powerful than anything you've known. You're so happy to have found it. It's so exciting. It's so new. It fits you so well and you just want to tell the world!

You are so full of enthusiasm and joy that it's almost effortless to keep the faith at first.

But over time, as the relationship matures, you have to work harder. Committing to a Christian life is not the easiest thing in the world in our society today. It's not the easiest thing in the world just being a human.

You have to re-commit to it (or at least I do) over and over. You have to read and learn and grow and allow the relationship to deepen and widen and get stronger. Just like those love chemicals that eventually wear off in a romantic relationship, maybe it's the same with faith.

The rewards of a long-standing, active, steadfast relationship with God are so powerful and wonderful, but it requires work, sometimes hard work. And I'm here to tell you it is so worth it. Here's that song:

"The Light In Me"

My life before You
I was a flame burning down
I was burning out

But You knew me better
For You there was never a doubt
Not since You gave me life
Something was different, I knew it the instant
You put the light in me

The spark, the shot to the heart
You are the hope that leads me out of the dark
You let Your love shine down
So that the world could see
You put the light in me

The light, You put the light in me
The light, You put the light in me
The light, You put the light in me
The light, You put the light in me

You are the Maker, you tell the sun when to rise
I'm just a house on a hill
But You make me brighter than all the stars in the sky
Keep me from growing dim

'Cause in Your perfection, I'm just a reflection
So pull me closer to You
I'll catch like a fire and I'll hold You higher
'Cause You put the light in me

This spark is shot to the heart
You are the hope that leads me out of the dark
You let Your love shine down
So that the world could see
You put the light in me

The light, You put the light in me
The light, You put the light in me
The light, You put the light in me
The light, You put the light in me

I'll raise it high, I'll let it show
From the rooftops down to streets below
In day and night, You will be known
And all will see
You put the light in me
'Cause You put the light in me

This spark is shot to the heart
You are the hope that leads me out of the dark
You let Your love shine down
So that the world could see
You put the light in me

The light, You put the light in me
The light, You put the light in me
The light, You put the light in me
The light, You put the light in me