Have You 'Given Your Life to Christ'?

Recently, I was listening to a religious podcast while driving to the office, and a man on the show said, “It’s been over 20 years now since I gave my life to Christ.”

I haven’t heard that expression in a long time. It’s not common for people in Catholic circles to say that they gave their life to Christ. In the Evangelical Protestant world, however, it’s a phrase that is used quite often. Saying that you gave your life to Christ means the same thing as saying you are born again, or you’ve put your faith in Jesus, or you’ve asked the Lord into your heart. The different descriptions all mean the same thing: the moment when people come to believe that Jesus really is who the Bible says He is, repent of their sins, and then pray for the Lord to save their souls and be the center of their lives.

Years ago, after I lost my faith in atheism, I spent a lot of time with “born again” folks, the period of time I call my “Baptist adjacent” days. Saying, “I gave my life to Christ,” was fairly common, and I’m sure I uttered that phrase more than a few times. When I heard it spoken on the recent podcast, it brought back a lot of memories, all of them good. Those were terrific times. I had just gotten sober. I finally started working steadily and embracing the responsibility of being a husband and father. I made a lot of new friends with people who were genuinely excited that I was getting my life together after a dozen years of being a glassy-eyed goober. And most of all, I had entered into a genuine relationship with Christ the Lord, which gave my life meaning and filled my soul with gratitude.

While listening to the podcast, my first thought was, Well, it’s been over 41 years now since I gave my life to Christ. My second thought was a question I asked myself: But be honest, pal, have you really GIVEN your life to Christ?  

Hmm, that’s a hard one. I know for sure that I believe in Jesus. I have faith that He really is the Son of God and the Savior of the world, the spotless lamb who died on the Cross and then rose from the dead, conquering death once and for all. But have I actually GIVEN my life to Him? Do I strive to have every aspect of my life conform to His will? Do I pray about every situation and every decision to make sure I’m thinking, saying, and doing exactly what He wants?

Um, nah. If you put it that way, I have to admit I’ve given no more than 10-percent of my life to Christ. The other 90-percent? Well, since we’re talking about my life, who knows what I need and what I ought to do better than me? 

Well, I think the previous sentence demonstrates why Pride is the first and worst of all the sins. Mountains of evidence prove beyond a doubt that whenever I make decisions thinking only, “What’s in it for me?” the results are usually awful. And yet, I go through most days as if the lyrics of that 1966 song by The Animals came from the Bible: “It’s my life, and I’ll do what I want!”

One of the reasons I did not continue worshiping with those lovely born again Evangelical folks is the fact I was persuaded the Catholic Church is the church founded by Jesus 2,000 years ago. Also, the Eucharist matches Jesus’ words in John, chapter 6, plus St. Paul's writings in 1 Corinthians, chapter 11. Nonetheless, I have great fondness for my old Evangelical buddies, and I look forward to seeing them again someday in Purgatory. (Hee hee, I couldn’t resist throwing that one in.)

We Catholics don’t often use the expression, “Give my life to Christ.” But the concept is quite valid, and we all should strive to do it. In my case, it’s a good thing that faith is a life-long journey. After giving 10-percent of my life to Christ, it’s now time for me to bump up that percentage. At my current rate, I should be up to 100-percent in about 369 years. Woo, it sure is a good thing that Jesus is merciful.