When I was 13 years old, I accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as my personal saviour. The church in which I made that momentous decision didn't have stained-glass windows; in fact, the only thing that that small, obscure institution of my youth had that came close to resembling stained glass were the tinted windows that those dutiful Christians installed.

The building was in badly need of repair, and the members came together in a united show of solidarity to donate their time and effort so that the facility could be brought up-to-date. Still, it wasn't being able to worship in a thoroughly-modern, renovated facility that attracted me to the Lord Jesus Christ, but knowing that without Him I would be cast into a meaningless abyss.

I am approaching my forty-third year of being a Christian, and I have yet to experience that meaningless abyss. On the contrary, my life as a Christian has been quite purposeful and rewarding.

Part of that reward has been the eternal wisdom inherent in the Bible. For forty-three years, those pearls or gems of truth have guided my life from its' humble beginnings to giving me an appreciation for the beauty of God's universe.

Additionally, each time I undertake a study of the Word of God, I learn something new that I have never known before: The incessant pesterings of that "still, small voice" guiding me to perfection has been my constant companion. I don't know about you, but I'm incline to call that voice the Holy Spirit.

It takes a great deal of discipline to live the Christian life. Yet, we have a supreme role model in the person of Jesus Christ. By modeling our lives after our Lord, we can go on to achieve perfection in Him(Col.1:28).

Still, we shouldn't lift one finger in beginning our daily itinerary; instead, our daily motto should be "What would Jesus do?" For we know what the Lord would do when our thoughts and energies are focused on Him.

But what does Jesus means to me? Jesus is a bridge over troubled waters; no matter what you are going through, you can navigate those troubled waters to safety by knowing that you are secure in Him.

We find our security in Jesus Christ by being committed to and suporting the church.

We support the church by following that age-old principle in God's Word which says, "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of Hosts, if I will not open for you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it (Mal.3:10).

The tithe is a principle of God's Word that if honored by the Christian, then he or she will become beneficents of the manifold blessings of our Lord. Furthermore, this principle of God's Word works in accordance to how you apply it to your life.

The World is filled with soothesayers or everyday philosophers who will tell you their unbiased recipe for a happy life. However, these feel-good connoissuers miss the mark when it comes to being complete in Christ.

For me, being made complete in our Lord is what this Christian journey has meant above all else. It is what motivates me to do all that I can to finish this race that was begun when I accepted our Saviour on that day 43 years ago. And I have yet to experience that meaningless abyss that will ultimately come when one is adrift on the sea of life without the Rudder to guide him or her.

Author's Bio: 

Roger Crain is an expert author who has established a list of credentials for himself.