My name is Greg Grandchamp. I'm an author, a speaker, and a contributing writer to Christianity.com. I'm also a Dave Ramsey-trained financial advisor, and before that, I spent more than 45 years in the business world. Above all of that, though, I am a Christian.
Like so many others, I was brought up Roman Catholic. I went to church every Sunday at the 7:30 Mass with my Marine Colonel dad, but in all that time, it never took root. Yet, never was there a day in my life when someone had asked me if I believed in God or Jesus Christ would I have ever said anything but a resounding yes. But that belief had zero impact on my life. Zero.
I didn't realize that my relationship with Jesus had not traveled a foot or so from my head down to my heart. I claimed to be a Christian but never acted like one, never behaved like a disciple of Jesus Christ. Yet, I always seemed to feel a tug on my heart. Then, in the spring of 2002, I was reading Lee Strobel's Case for Christ. I was sitting up in bed with my wife asleep next to me. I got to the end of Lee's book, where he summarized that if all of the things about the death and resurrection of Jesus that he investigated were true, it all must be true. All of it. At that moment, I realized how wrong I had been, how I had missed it all of those years. I realized I needed to give my life to Christ Jesus and follow him right there.
At that moment, I prayed for him to enter my heart, and my life has never been the same. It has been an amazing, wonderful growth journey. I'm not a pastor or a theologian. I'm not even an expert writer. I'm just a regular guy traveling the same journey as everyone else, the same struggles and failures, the same messy, broken life as everyone else. But I know God is with me. I know Jesus is my Lord and Savior, and I can trust in him completely.
What attracts me to Jesus is his amazing grace, his mercy, and his love for everyone, his ability to forgive, even to forgive those who crucified him while he was still hanging on the cross. Romans 5-8 tells us that Christ died for us while we were still sinners. Can you even imagine that? Before we even thought about repenting and knew we needed forgiveness, Jesus gave up his life for us. My eternal life started that day. I gave my heart and life fully to Christ and will never turn back away from him.
His invitation stands for everyone, no matter where we come from or what we've done in our lives. Christ invites us to come to him, to all of us searching for something but who have never found satisfaction. Jesus, is that something? My favorite verse is Matthew 11, 28-30. It's Christ's invitation to each of us. Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. You know, so many seem to think that being a Christian is all about a bunch of religious rules and rites and rituals. You must do this; you can't do that, but that is wrong. Christianity is no more, yet absolutely no less, than a relationship with Jesus Christ. It is about accepting his free gift of mercy, grace, and forgiveness. It is about giving my life to him and accepting his Holy Spirit to dwell within me. And let me tell you, it has been a long and sometimes slow process with a stubborn guy like me, but his Spirit within me has changed me and changed my life forever. I truly pray you will be blessed today.
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