I met Bono!

There is one interesting fact in my life that many people don't know about me:  I have met Bono.  Yep, that is right!  I once met the lead singer of U2 (arguably one of the most famous people on the planet).  I met him while I was on vacation in the Bahamas.  He and his family were hanging out beside us at the same pool.  How we met is a long story, but I will give you a few details:

• We carried on a lengthy conversation.
• He asked me where I lived.
• I asked him how things were going with his band and we discussed upcoming projects that he was working on at the time.
• I met his family.
• I bought all of us bottled water. 
• We even stayed at the same hotel.

On the surface, that makes a great story!  Here are the real facts:  as much as I would like to believe it, Bono and I are not friends.  We aren’t even acquaintances.  I am positive that he would not remember meeting me.  If I went to a concert someday and tried to get backstage, I would probably be arrested.  Although we once met, he doesn’t know me.

There is a big difference between meeting someone and being in a relationship with them.  In order for me to “know Bono” he would have to know me as well.  It would require meeting him again, speaking with him on a regular basis.  We would invest time in getting to know one another.  Over time, we would develop a friendship.  He would seek to spend time with me, and I would make it a point to correspond with him.  It would take a deliberate effort on the part of both people to develop that kind of relationship.

My story sounds amusing, but the fact is that many people out there approach God the same way I met Bono.  You may have met God at some point of your life.  You may have even spent a little time with Him in church or growing up as a child.  You may have gone so far as to give Him a little money (in the same way I bought Bono and his family bottled water at the pool).  There is a big difference between having an encounter with God and being in a relationship with Him.

God sent His Son Jesus to develop that kind of relationship with mankind.  Jesus left heaven to live as a man (this is historical fact).  He died on a cross so that He could reconcile us with His Father.  This whole process was done so that we could be made right with God and not be required to pay the penalty for our sins.  God doesn’t want to just meet you; God wants a relationship with you for the rest of eternity.  Just being acquainted with God isn’t going to be enough.

How do we enter into a relationship with God?  It’s not just saying a prayer, but a confession on our part to Him.  It is simple, and permanent.  Here is how you do it:

Speak to God.  Confess to God that you are tired of running from Him and that you want a relationship with Him.  It can be a silent prayer that you say in your heart, speaking out loud in the car on the way to work, or in a quiet place inside your home.  Regardless, it begins with you talking to God. 

Admit to God that you are a sinner, and that you need Jesus to take your sins away from you.  Confess that you believe Jesus died on the cross for your sins and that He was raised from the dead so that you don’t have to suffer the penalty for those sins.  Ask Jesus to take your place.  Ask Jesus to take away the judgment for those sins.

Ask Jesus to be your king.  Give your entire life to Him.  Ask him to show you what your next step is and confess to Him that you will obey Him, no matter what that next step may be.

God wants a relationship with you.  He wants you to have an abundant life.  He wants to be your God, and not an acquaintance.  God wants you to have it all!  Don’t waste your life, give it to Him.

Note:  if you read this and entered into a relationship with God after reading it, go public with this by telling someone.  Email me at benjimerritt@bellsouth.net so that I can rejoice with you!  Making Jesus your king is an amazing way to go through life.  It gives you a hope that cannot be described!