Many years ago, I worked as a reporter for the Kernersville newspaper. One of my jobs was to go around town and ask the “Man on the Street” question.

For this blog post, I took that same simple interview approach and asked my family and some good friends we were with the following question:

What is one way that Jesus is important to you or helps you in your everyday life?

As Christians, I and they know, of course, that Jesus is important in every way. But, I was interested in hearing one practical way in which Jesus or our relationship with Jesus influences our thinking and makes a difference in our lives today.

I invite you to reflect on your own answer to this question, and I believe you’ll be encouraged by the answers my family and friends shared with me.  

Here’s what they said in the order in which I interviewed them:

Stephen Warden

God is truly in control and has a plan for me and for all of us. I have wasted a lot of time trying to control and worry about things rather than trusting in him and seeking him more, ultimately to find out that he’s in control and going to take care of my needs.

Carson Warden

Jesus loves me. He gives me strength and stamina to improve at sports.

David Casey

You cannot judge somebody by their appearance. Too many people write people off based on how they look. If you look at Jesus and how he treated people, he treated people the same. We’re the same people in God’s eyes.

Avery Warden

My joy, my happiness, my outlook on life has all increased because of Jesus in my life. He’s something good that I can look to even in times of trouble. This world will offer you so many things to make you happy, but in my experience, none of those things compares to the joy that Christ has given me. I would say, too, what the world offers us doesn’t last forever.

Shannon Casey

With all the things that we have going on at this point in life, it’s teaching me patience and to trust and wait on his timing for things that need to happen in our lives.

Meredith Casey

He helps me through hard times in life. I can always count on him to be there.

Presley Warden

I know that he loves me and that he’s always there holding my hand through life.

Austin Casey

He keeps me safe in the hot attic. It’s hard to breathe up there in the heat, and it can get scary sometimes. (Austin works in HVAC.)

I also answered the question:

God is working out his plan in the world just like he said in the Bible that he would. I get distracted and overwhelmed sometimes by the heartache in the world, but it all just helps point me back to God. He is the answer. I try to stay focused on him and regularly remind myself that I can trust him.

What about you?

It was helpful and encouraging to me to think about this question and to hear my family’s and friends’ answers. I hope the same for you. Even more, I hope that your own reflection on this question may be a helpful reminder to you of how Jesus makes a practical difference in your everyday life.

Shannon Warden, TBC Director of Counseling