Jesus loves you, this I know

...for the Bible tells me so.

Sometimes I wonder why I believe so strongly in God and His son and His rules and laws and love. It doesn't make any sense, really. There's no empirical evidence for it. Is it only because I was brought up to believe that it holds any sway over me? Do I have faith only because my parents have faith, or is there some seed of original belief in me? Is my faith my own? I doubt - does that mean I'm not a believer? I sin - does that mean I'm not a Christian? I consciously make decisions every day that I know Jesus would be ashamed of. I swear, I gossip, I lie, I envy. I have rejected so many of the things my parents taught me, why do I cling so fervently to this one?

And yet...

When someone asks me about my faith, about my beliefs, about my convictions, something inside me fills up to the brim with certainty and strength. I can answer their questions unhesitatingly- yes, Jesus is my personal savior, yes, I believe unswervingly that I will go to Heaven when I die, yes, Jesus loves you, he loves me, he loves everyone so completely that to be separated from that love would be completely devastating. I am moved to tears by the music of worship, I am filled with deep sadness for my loved ones who don't know Christ. I believe that the Bible is indeed the word of God, and that he leaves his word open for interpretation. I believe that Jesus loves everyone, regardless of sexual orientation or religious background or sinful past.

And so I guess what I'm trying to say is that even though I don't know why or how I believe, I know what I believe, and that's the important part. Faith without reason or justification. Belief without explanation or fact. Just the simple, intrinsic, deep-rooted knowledge that God exists. He is love. And he loves me.