The past few weeks, I can't get enough of this video.  The first time I watched it, it cut deep with me on a personal level: before I was a Christian, I certainly was a lot lilke "Ryan".  Am I all perfect now, with all the answers?  Good heavens, no.  But now, after my own conversion experience (at the age of 20), I do realize and see the enormous value of the term "born again".

How many of us pay "lip service" to God/church/Jesus on Sunday and then live our lives every other day as if God isn't even real in our lives? Amongst many church-goers, young and old, you could argue that there are many who have little devotion in their lives, or little sense that their religion is a relationship between them and God that moves and fuels all they do.

In some ways, I can't blame them.  Perhaps many have never met or seen an actual Christian?  Perhaps many are following an example that they have seen their whole lives, thinking that sporadically attending church is enough?  At an earlier age (18-22), I was thoroughly confused about the church:  why should I go?  what do I do?  In many ways, attending church felt like another obligation, like a civic club or a board meeting.

Preachers/youth pastors shouting down to other people that they need to "repent" be "born again", is not necessarily the answer.  Forcing, or even worse, shaming people, into church attendance is certainly not the answer. That attitude has been part of the problem for millennia.  One answer is for ministers to admit that they're no better than anyone else.

The main answer (utilizing a Sunday school answer) is simply: Jesus.

When we are in love with everything else but Jesus, of course everything else comes first.  We attend to that which is important to us.  When we love Jesus first, everything else comes second.

When Jesus said "you must be born again", he wasn't insinuating that you  must be born again just so you can attend church, be at youth group, make a good show.  A born again person becomes a new creature with different values, perceptions, and ideals.  The Bible says it is like a veil being lifted, or a fog dissipating in the morning light.  Christians have always been seen as rather strange, and well we should.

The born again Christian walks the walk (however imperfectly and with humility) and puts Christ first in all aspects of life.  "Ryan" in the video is a rather sad character, because he thinks the more he does, out of obedience, then he's walking the straight and narrow.  But clearly it isn't working, because his life is falling apart.  I believe that many people today have this same story, and they see religion as worthless because it has no tangible affect on their lives.

I agree.  Religion is worthless.  But a born again relationship with God is everlasting and it will have a tangible affect on your life.

But for the born again Christian, you realize it is God that does it all: God does the saving, God does the rebirthing, God directs the life.  This is what is called "grace" or "mercy".  God's gift of love and power is underserved and unmerited, because we are moral foul-ups who can't get the whole God thing straight on our own.

But the born again...they realize they can't do it on their own, so they ask God for help...and God responds, every time.

There is no other experience that is more humbling and yet more uplifting.  When we have a relationship with God and are being directed by God's spirt, we are free to live God's life through us.  The kingdom of God comes literally into our lives.  We become vessels, or carriers, of the Christ life.  All of this can be yours, for free, if you simply pray and ask Christ into your life as Lord.  Praying a humble prayer of confession releases your control over your life, and gives that control back to God; control that should have relinquished to God the whole time.

We do none of this new work, Christ does it all.  Continue to submit to Christ in all your ways, and live a life where God directs your paths (which means you have to pray and listen often).  Doing that, life becomes more freeing that you could have ever known.  You'll see Jesus as he is meant to be seen: dangerous, recklessly loving, good, kind, powerful, limitless, undefeated, humble, healing, eternal.  You know, qualities that a real Jesus should have. A Jesus that matters.  A Jesus that does actually exist, here and now, forever.

And your Jesus won't be plastic: he'll be real.