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Bobby Clampet I'll never forget the flight I took from Frankfurt, West Germany to Cincinnati, Ohio. The flight was long, and as we passed over Quebec, Canada, the sky was deep blue. Looking down I saw many lakes and numerous roads meandering through the valleys -- seemingly leading to nowhere. Those dead-end roads reminded me of my life before I came to know a unique person who paved the way to hope and fulfillment. Let me share a brief story with you. As a teenager I searched for value in this world. I was a good golfer (0 handicap at age 15) and won many tournaments. My identity was how others perceived me, and although I received acceptance and praise from my peers, an indescribable emptiness resided in my heart, I thought, "perhaps I need to succeed at a higher level to find real satisfaction and self-worth." As a freshman in college I won two tournaments and became a First-Team All-American. Then at age 19 I won a professional tournament -- the Spalding Pro-Am, but my life still seemed so shallow. Because I was a good golfer a lot of people wanted to be friends with me, but I knew that if I were a poor golfer many of these so-called fair-weather friends wouldn't have been around. I began to build resentment and tried to fill the void in my life with many material things (money, luxuries, fame, power, etc.) You may be asking yourself, "How could this guy feel so empty and unfulfilled when he has reached the top of his profession and has accumulated wealth and prestige?" The answer is simple. Everything the world has to offer is temporary. Everything we own can be destroyed or taken from us or will eventually wear out. Even our bodies don't last, and if death comes knocking on our door tomorrow (and what guarantee do we have of being alive), what are we left with to enjoy? What can we take with us? When we realize that we are capable of destroying our own planet, the future seems so bleak. But there is hope, and whether you believe it or not, the one God who created the universe and humanity loved us enough to provide an avenue of hope leading to eternal life and not a dead end. That avenue is a personal relationship with God's only Son, Jesus Christ. The Bible says in John 3:16, "For God loved the world so much that He gave us His only Son, Jesus, and whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. Matthew 7:13-14 says, "For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few." We don't need to do anything to adopt the world's value system. Society has already done it for us by leading us down the path of destruction and away from God. Drugs and alcohol are destroying our youth, the media tells us to practice safe sex when there is no such thing, people say it is OK to take the life of an unborn child and fathers are working,50 percent longer weeks than they were several years ago in order to race to the top of the corporate ladder while the family suffers. Divorce and homosexuality are on the rise and lawsuits abound like never before. The world also says pay your neighbors back for any wrong they've done to you. All of this chaos is caused by our rebellious attitude toward God. The Bible calls this rebellion sin, and Romans 6:23 says, "The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ." God not only promises eternal life in heaven, but He also promises an abundant life here on earth -- a life filled with hope, genuine peace, joy and the strength to face adversity that might come our way -- if we ask Jesus to come into our life. If you would like to know more about Jesus and what He can do for you, just click the button on the left side of your screen to change your life. |
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