Following Jesus begins with an honest yes to him. You can come as you are, with questions, doubts and parts of your life that are still messy. Christians believe God has already taken the first step towards us through Jesus, whose life, death and resurrection open the way to forgiveness and new life.
You might begin with a simple prayer: ‘Jesus, I want to know you. Please forgive me, lead me and teach me how to live.’ There is no magic wording. What matters is that you are turning towards him and trusting him. Christians sometimes call this repentance, which means accepting you’ve been going the wrong way, changing direction and beginning a new life with Jesus.
A disciple is an apprentice. We learn by listening to Jesus and putting his teaching into practice. Reading a Gospel, praying honestly, worshipping with other Christians and making room for the Holy Spirit are good first steps. Faith grows as it is lived, not only as ideas are collected.
You will not understand everything at once, and questions do not disqualify you. Find a healthy church community where you can learn, be known and ask questions. Baptism is also an important step Jesus gave his followers, a public way of saying that your life now belongs to him.
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