I Thought My Hard Work Would Get Me Into Heaven
I Thought My Hard Work Would Get Me Into Heaven I Thought My Hard Work Would Get Me Into Heaven
I’m Ken Herr and this is my story.
I guess you could call me a baby boomer. I was born into abooming country, just after World War II, where, by the time I was ingrade school, almost everybody had a car and a television. I wastold, like most children of my generation, that we should love Godand our country, go to school, work hard and everything would be allright. I did all the right things, I said the pledge of allegiance,went to church, obeyed my parents (when they might find out) and knewthat everything would work out okay. When things did not go right,well, I just needed to do something better or something more. Ifthings seemed out of my control all I needed to do was ask God tohelp me – after all, I was told he is my heavenly father.
“Just like my earthly father,” I thought, “God has a lotof things to do and, if he had time, he would help me out – the restof the time I was on my own.” I can handle this. I went to SundaySchool and learned the bible verse from the book of John, chapter 3,verse 16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his onlybegotten son, that whosoever believeth on him shall not perish, buthave everlasting life.” I believed that Jesus lived, and died androse on the third day, and all of the other things they teach you inSunday School. I was baptized at the age of 8 and a faithful churchmember, so I’ve done everything right. I’m okay with God!
School, church, play, work — life was okay — most of the time.More work, less play, then marriage. Ann and I were married in ourteens. Boy, was I on top of the world! Everybody said it wouldn’twork, but we were determined to make it work. I knew that with enoughwork, we would make it — no doubt about it. Over the next sevenyears we had three children. I mustn’t forget to go to church – dothe right thing for the kids, you know. It felt good to go to church– most of the time. When that didn’t feel good any longer, I’d justhave to do more and better, and more and better. We taught SundaySchool, brought neighborhood and less privileged kids to church on abus, and sang in the choir. I must have done a good job, we had threegood, bright children and I was offered a job that moved me from ourhome in St. Louis, Missouri, to Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the mid70s. Finally, my chance to reap the benefits of all that hard work.
I felt like a pioneer – new hometown, new faces and a whole newset of people to impress. Of course, if I wanted to fit in, I had tobehave like my new friends. ” I’ll get to church,” I told myself,”but first I have to work a little harder.” God will understand if Ispend more time working — after all, he sent me to Allentown and Iwas getting farther with hard work than ever before. But, I couldonly do so much.
During the heart of our young children’s lives, we didn’t havetime for church, and our family and marriage began to fallapart. After all, we were married young and you know thestatistics for early marriages, but we determined to work hard tostay together for the kids. As our children began to marry and leavehome we recognized that we were headed for divorce. Our lives hadbeen focused around our kids, but now the kids were leaving. Nowwhat? We went to counseling just to be able to say “We tried”. Duringcounseling we realized that the last time we remember being happy waswhen we were in church. That’s it! Go to church, that will solve itall!!
In 1991 we began attending the Lehigh Valley Baptist Church. Justlike 20 years earlier, I began to work in church. At last, I wasright where God wanted me. The more I worked in church, thebetter I would feel. Right?
WRONG!
From my childhood on, I knew everything that was important aboutchurch. I considered myself a good Christian. I knew all of the rightthings, could sing the songs, pray in public, but one thingwas missing — I didn’t know God. Oh sure, I knew who Godwas. I knew all of the stories of the bible, I even memorized someBible verses. But the bible says in the book of Titus, chapter 3,verse 5 “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, butaccording to his mercy he saved us…”.
It was during a time of deep spiritual searching that the one whoknew me best, my wife Ann, told me that I couldn’t help her find Godbecause I didn’t know God myself. What do you mean? I don’t know God?Of course I do. I know all of these verses, I go to church all of thetime, I sing in the choir. How could she say I don’t know God? I knewI was struggling with God, but how did she know?
It was that evening, October 1, 1993, that I finally gave uptrying. I couldn’t do any more. I remembered that the Bible says,“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves:it is a gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.”Ephesians 2:8-9. But God, I’ve done all of these good things, surelyit’s good enough.
That evening, I gave my life to God by finally surrendering mysinful life and accepting the total sacrifice offered by the death ofhis innocent son, Jesus. I finally realized that God did not need, oreven want, my good works — no man’s work is good enough to meetGod’s standard of righteousness. Jesus gave his all for me, I own myall to Him. Earlier the same day, Ann had given herself to God andasked him to save her, too. “Marvel not that I said unto thee, yemust be born again” John 3:7. Ann and I were born again the sameday.
God watched out for us for so many years, patiently awaiting theday that we would turn to Him. We deserved none of His blessings, butHe protected us. Even though I turned my back on Him for my entirelife, when I turned to Him, He was right there for me. Today, we arefinally really happy. We have given our lives to God, and He hasgiven us new lives, the reason for life. “He that hath the Sonhath life, he that hath not the Son of God, hath not life.” 1John 5:12. I would love to tell you more of what Jesus Christ hasdone for me and how He has promised me eternal life.
If you would like to know more about the Savior that changed Ken’slife, you are welcome to attend the
Lehigh Valley Baptist Church4702 Colebrook Avenue
Emmaus, PA 18049
Or call us at (610) 965 4700 or 1-800-893-9586.