When I was invited to speak to a group of young people at a camp last month, my initial reaction was to say "no".

At first, I said, "I'm thinking about it," but after a few days, I gave a definite "no".

However, I continued to place this in God's hands, and the day after saying "no," I started asking myself: "Why not?"

A few excuses came to mind:

• I am too busy to prepare something.

• I have a fear of public speaking.

• I have not been communicating with God much lately, so I wouldn't have anything to offer.

Then I realised it was not about me. It is not about how well I manage to give a public speech; all I need to do is point to Jesus.

I think we have all had at least one moment in our lives when we asked ourselves: "Who am I?"

Many times we answer: "I am a student, a business person, a firefighter, etc." But this links our identity to our job or the place where we spend most of our time.

"Who am I?" ... You know, when I was in secondary school, it was the darkest period of my life.

It was when I felt I had lost my identity. I was best friends with the worst group in the class. We used to mock each other, and respect was entirely lacking.

We were talking and doing many wrong things.

We were perverted and depraved.

I'm sure you're aware of many bad things.

But after a while, from being one of the most popular people in school for all the wrong reasons, I became the target of mockery by some of my group.

The environment became so toxic that I thought of ending it all.

Something, however, stopped me from doing anything stupid. After a while, I became the guy who stood up against bullying. I preferred to spend breaks with the "unpopular" people, asking them how they were and encouraging them.

I started helping online as well, reaching many teenagers. I met many different people.

But you see, even though that was a good thing—a great refocus of my attention from something bad to something useful—my identity started to be rooted in the number of people I "saved". I became depressed, taking their burdens upon myself. If someone still didn't feel better, my identity was shaken: "How come I am not able to help this person?" I wanted to save everyone.

At the camp, I filled a backpack with heavy rocks and asked a young volunteer to run with it. It was tough for him to run. Then I took his backpack and asked him to run again. Now, hold this example in your mind for a bit.

I asked a few people to tell me what love is. Some said it is that feeling toward someone you never want to let go of. Others said it’s those butterflies in your stomach when you see someone dear.

The Romanian dictionary defines love as a feeling of love (defining a term by the same term) for a person of the opposite sex.

The world likes to redefine things, giving new identities. What's important, however, is to see how our Creator defines love:

• 1 John 4:8 says that "God is love."

• Romans 5:8 says "God demonstrates His love in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

Do you notice the difference? The world defines love as a mere feeling (as long as I feel it, I love you; if I don't feel it anymore, I don't love you), while God defines love as a person: Jesus.

We are all sinners and separated from God's perfection (or holiness). Our chance was something prepared beforehand.

God was the first to offer a sacrifice.

It sounds strange, doesn't it? Let me explain:

In the Garden of Eden, when Adam and Eve decided not to listen to God and were thus stripped of God, they felt naked and ashamed. But God provided a solution, making them garments of skin, thus sacrificing an animal to cover (both literally and symbolically) Adam and Eve.

That was the prototype of the blood sacrifice necessary for the forgiveness of sins, foreshadowing the Final Solution: the sacrifice of Jesus.

Think about the illustration from the beginning: Each of us is part of the race of life. Each of us has to carry an increasingly heavy load of things, knowledge, thoughts, frustrations, flaws, and sins.

Some of us have better equipment than others, right? Some were born into families of believers, learning that Jesus is the only solution and the importance of talking to Him. Others have to run this race of life with more obstacles just to get to where others are.

The fact is that we all need Jesus and the salvation offered through His sacrifice.

Romans 3:23 says that we have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

The easiest moment for the volunteer was when I took the backpack, and he could run without the heavy burden. That's what Jesus does with us if we let Him.

Alright, but what is this sacrifice I'm talking about? It's about, again, the shedding of blood. Because God is just, He does not remain in debt. Every deed has a payment or reward.

Sin leads to death. So a death was necessary as payment for the debt. And by Jesus, God in the role of the obedient Son, coming, living as a man without sin, and dying though innocent, He was able to legally (and in all respects) pay for the sins of ALL.

The cool part about all this is that being God, and since He was not guilty, but we were, once He paid for our sins, He ROSE, He is alive, and lives even today.

If sin is a heart problem, now we, who wish to benefit from this forgiveness, must ask ourselves: "How can I have my heart transformed, so that my motivations are changed, and I am reconnected to God?"

We must be aware that we are sinners and confess that we are sinners. The question that was raised in my mind is TO WHOM?

How can I return to my identity as a son or daughter of God?

We need to empty ourselves and let ourselves be filled with Him.

So then, what does it mean to be full of Him, or how can I do that? How can I prepare for this race and position myself correctly in Christ?

Matthew 5:3 says "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." – poor in spirit means those who recognise their dependence on Jesus and nothing and no one else. So we must have open hearts and recognise that we need His help.

Acts 3:19 says "Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out." – so humility, repentance, and faith are needed.

John 14:6: "Jesus says: I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." – so Jesus is our ONLY chance.

To see something, I have to look at that something, so to see Jesus, I have to look at Him. To avoid distractions, I need to keep my eyes constantly fixed on Him. "Eyes on the prize!"

As an encouragement:

It doesn't matter how long it takes me to reach Him. Preparation, right? Training can take a long time. It's important not to use this as an excuse: "Well, I'm not perfect anyway, so I'll change later when I get tired of the fun in this world."

A few years ago, probably when I was on the junior team, if not a bit before, I played water polo. Being one of the youngest, the older ones bullied me, pushed my head underwater until I felt I had no air left, pulled me back when I tried to swim, kicked me underwater during games, and were verbally aggressive.

The coach would take us out of the water, hit us, and curse us. These were the reasons why I gave up water polo.

How important is the environment I'm in? What would it mean not to listen to the disruptive elements and continue my race, regardless of what happens around me?

In the example from the beginning, the weight was the backpack. But what if besides the backpack, 2-3 people were also pulling the volunteer, one tripped him, and we yelled at him, hurling insults?

I have two options: I choose to try to run with my strength, managing as best I can, constantly in survival mode, and later find that I'm down and can't go on, abandoning the race. OR I can choose to leave my burden in the hands of the One who has already taken the legal nature of my burden, let Him carry it for me, take His hand, and be victorious.

I invite you to a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus. He desires you. He loves you. He created you. He wants you for Himself.

2 Peter 3:9 says "The Lord...does not want anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."

And the personal relationship with Him must be maintained, just as we maintain a relationship with another person: it requires time, it requires attention, it requires listening.

Matthew 11:28 – imagine Jesus telling you this directly when He takes that full backpack from you: "Come to Me, [YOUR NAME], for you are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest!"

May the Lord Jesus help each of us to desire Him, to discover Him, and to listen to Him!