I remember how hard I tried to live the Christian life. One Sunday morning I made up my mind to be a Christian, and I never doubted that I knew just what to do. I must stop doing some evil things. (Already evil things had a place in my life.) I must do good things. I must read my Bible more, pray more and repent more. Surely that was the right way.
So I began. On Sunday I did well. On Monday and Tuesday I almost succeeded, but on Wednesday and Thursday I made some serious slips. I gave it up in despair on Friday and Saturday.
But it didn't matter. I would begin again next Sunday. In self-confidence I thought I knew where I had gone wrong, and I could guard against the danger. So I read my Bible more diligently and prayed fervently—prayed until sometimes I fell asleep on my knees beside the bed. I watched more carefully and imagined that I repented more deeply. Still, I could not live the "Christian life."
Then came the wonderful Sunday when I heard a new speaker. I can only remember one sentence of his whole talk, but it was a living word for me: "All you have to do to be saved is to take God's gift, and say, Thank you."
Here was a new and great light. I had been trying to get God to take my gift, and trying to make it good enough to be worthy of His acceptance. But the gift was His to give, and I just had to take it. Simply and quietly that afternoon my heart turned to God and I took the gift for which I have been saying "Thank you" ever since.
Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift.