Whilst in S. Africa I learned the beauty and value of being able to share your own testimony. As Petrus, a missionary in S. Africa, said (not his exact words but the same message)someone can try and refute your faith or beliefs but they cannot refute your testimony. Your testimony should have three general parts: 1) life before Christ 2) how/when you accepted Christ 3) what the Lord has been doing in your life since. For me parts 1 and 2 just seem to go together. Part 3 on the other hand I've learned can change. I've especially learned this recently, as recent as within the past 3 months. So my part 3 will probably be quite long but for me it is a very crucial point. So here it is:
I grew up going to church. I went to pretty much every youth function there was. I was at a youth retreat/camp when I realized there was something missing in my life. I didn't have a relationship with Christ. I did not have him as my Lord and Savior. It was like I had been waiting for some kind of sign. I don't know what kind of sign I was waiting but just something big to be like now- now is the time to accept Christ. Now is the time to begin a relationship with Him. I realized I didn't need some kind of sign. I knew what the Bible says. I knew that Christ came and died and came back to life. He died so that my sins would be forgiven. So that I would have a way to Him, to Heaven through believing in and accepting Him. One of the nights on the retreat I began talking to a youth leader. A couple nights later I talked to that youth leader again. Then later that night I prayed accepting Christ into my life as my Savior.
After that I read my Bible a little more. I prayed a little more. But there was this one sin that I held on to. This sin was keeping me from giving my all to God. It finally got to the point were it was just really getting me down and I was at a really low spot. I would leave worship feeling completely down, filthy, and unworthy, wanting to cry. At TNT someone shared a testimony a pastor spoke two weeks in a row. All that was said really started getting to me. After TNT that second week a friend asked me how I was doing to which I responded I'm making it. They didn't just leave it at that though. They asked if was something physical or spiritual. I had been sick that week so my response was a little bit of both but physically I'm feeling better. Their response was something along the lines of is Satan kicking you trying to get you down. I don't think I said much other then yeah because otherwise I would of started crying. I went home that night and sobbed. I kept reading the scriptures that were preached about over again. I was at a complete loss. I messaged that friend and told them briefly what was going on and pretty much just begged them to pray for me. They sent back some encouraging words and scripture to read. During the next week I met with this friend and we talked about it, confessed, and confided. They were great help and the Lord really used them to speak to me. The friend was able to point out that I had been spiritually lazy. They pointed me back to the Lord, back to reading the Bible, praying, just spending time with the Lord. So I did that. I started spending more time with the Lord and relying on Him. My first worship experience after that was like a whole new experience. I didn't have this sin holding me back anymore. I had a new joy and peace in my life. 2 Corinthians 10:12-13 has been a great encouragement for me. "So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." It is a reminder to me that when/if I am ever tempted with this sin again that I can say no to it. If I run away from the sin and run to God then He will provide a way out. He will indeed be faithful and Satan will not have a victory. And He has been faithful.
I have also found Psalm 32 to be an encouragement.
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