Don't Let Someone Else's Experience Keep You from God

I want to share something that has been sitting with me, and it starts with Psalm 34. This is one of the most personal psalms David ever wrote. He wrote it during one of the lowest moments of his life, when he was on the run, afraid and pretending to be someone he was not just to survive. And yet right in the middle of all of that chaos and fear, he writes this. Not from a place of comfort. Not from a throne. From hiding. And that is what makes it so powerful.

"Taste and see that the Lord is good. How happy is the person who takes refuge in Him." - Psalm 34:8

Years ago, my dad was talking to someone who didn't believe in God. And when he started witnessing to her, she had a reason. She had actually gone to a Christian school when she was younger. She grew up around Christians. I heard this story a while back, and it has never left me.

But the Christians around her were doing things that went against the Bible. They were feeding her a distorted version of what faith was supposed to look like. Somewhere along the way, she looked at the people representing God and decided she wanted nothing to do with Him.

And honestly? I get why that happens. When the people who are supposed to reflect Jesus act nothing like Him, it is easy to write the whole thing off.

But Here Is the Problem With That

My dad said something to her that I have not been able to stop thinking about. He asked her: "Would you let someone else taste your food and then decide for yourself whether you liked it or not?"

Of course not. That is not how it works. You taste it for yourself.

And yet so many people have let someone else's bad experience with Christianity become the reason they never tried God for themselves. They let someone else's story close the door before they ever walked through it.

If I had let every person who misrepresented Jesus determine my relationship with Him, I would not have faith today. Because I have seen Christians do some things that made me cringe. People inside the church have hurt me. I have watched people claim God on Sunday and live completely differently the rest of the week.

But none of that changes who God actually is.

Other People's Opinions Are Not Your Evidence

Here is what I want you to hear: It does not matter what other people think. It does not matter what other people do around you. It does not matter what anybody else's opinions are about God.

Because God is not asking you to evaluate Him based on how His followers behave, he is asking you to come to Him directly. To taste it for yourself. To draw near and see what happens.

And here is the promise: When you do, He will reveal Himself to you. Not to the person next to you. Not to the loudest Christian in the room. To you, personally, when you seek Him personally.

James 4:7-8 says it plainly: "Submit to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you."

That is not a maybe. That is a promise.

So What Do You Do With That?

If the church has hurt you, I am sorry. If someone who called themselves a Christian gave you a reason to walk away, I am sorry. That should never have happened, and was never what God intended.

But I want to ask you the same thing my dad asked her: Are you going to let someone else's experience decide everything for you? Or are you going to taste it for yourself?

Because the God of Psalm 34 is not asking you to trust the people around you. He is asking you to trust Him. And when you draw near, He promises to meet you there.

"Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you." — James 4:8

Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/kckate16

Reflection Questions for the Week

1. Have I been letting someone else's experience with God determine my own relationship with Him?

2. Is there a hurt from the church or from another Christian that I have never actually brought to God directly?

3. What would it look like for me to draw near to God this week, on my own terms, and taste it for myself?

Joe Navarro, known online as @joechristianguy, is a Christian content creator, entrepreneur, and cultural voice passionate about making faith approachable and impactful for the next generation. With over 4.5 million combined followers across TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, Joe delivers bold, Gospel-centered truth through a mix of daily encouragement, short-form teachings, comedic skits, and authentic life experiences. His unique blend of theology, humor, and clarity has created space for millions of young believers and skeptics alike to engage with Scripture and real conversations about following Jesus in a digital world. In 2023, he co-created the popular card game Discernment alongside Jacob and Julia Petersen, which is now available in major retailers like Amazon, Walmart, Museum of the Bible, and Mardel. He also holds a degree in Agricultural Economics with a minor in Sales from Texas A&M.