Jesus Freaks

What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of Christians? Crazy? God- obsessed? Jesus freaks? Although these stereotypes are ones that many people think accurately describe people who follow the religion of Christianity, we’re normal just like anyone else. In high school especially, this topic has really touched my heart because I, myself, am a Christian, and firmly believe in the teachings I follow. I’ve actually been made fun of for reading the bible, going to youth group every Sunday, and even for just being the minister’s daughter! The truth behind it all, though, is that we have our reasons, and they’re good ones too!
I feel very passionate about the beautiful religion I follow and wish people could see it the way I do. Our religion is based off of the life of a Jewish man named Jesus, who lived around the year 3 A.D., and who, as the son of God, set the example for Christians in the future to base their lives off of. Many of the values and morals we cling to are some that “good people” who may be atheists or that come from a different religion follow as well. Once again, we’re not that different! Examples of these values are love for everyone including enemies, honesty, trust, peace, fairness, not stealing, etc. We read passages from the bible that help us to better understand these values, why we need to follow them, and how we can better carry them out into our daily lives.
One of the greatest mysteries and most amazing sacrifices ever to happen in the history of the bible was the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. It is one of the most confusing stories to understand, but the moral of the story is a sentence that describes God’s extreme love for us. In the book of John, chapter 3 verse 16,it says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” In this passage it describes how if we simply believe in God that we’ll live forever in paradise with him! It might just be me, but I think that sounds like a dream come true. Wouldn’t everyone want to live forever in a care free world in paradise with the greatest God they could ever imagine? When you think of it that way, us Christians don’t seem that crazy. If someone thinks of Christians as people who are striving to live a good life so that we can please our amazing Lord and so we can be rewarded in heaven with eternal happiness, we don’t seem like such Jesus freaks after all.