Before Jesus Changed My Life
Ever since I was a little girl, I remember saying all my prayers and going to church every weekend, but it wasn’t until a good friend shared her deep faith in God and Jesus Christ that I truly started to believe. But even then, I still placed my hope and trust in this world, continued to be drawn to worldly possessions, I sought after the acceptance and inclusion of others, and placed my own needs and wants above His. I selfishly leaned into Him only to ask for help, didn’t think of what He wanted or what He did for me, rarely gave thanks for the gifts and blessings He bestowed upon me or my loved ones, didn’t trust His plan, and wasn’t satisfied until He blessed me with what I asked for…all of which caused much unhappiness and dissatisfaction in me and my life.
How Jesus Changed My Life
I never felt compelled to truly begin seeking out Jesus until COVID. With everything shut down and the requirement to attend church virtually, the realization hit that I wasn’t feeling fulfilled and something was missing in my faith walk and my life. I developed a want and desire to learn and understand more about Jesus, his teachings, the parables, and the symbolisms in the bible to better arm myself and begin living a faith-filled life. Once in-person services resumed, I started attending weekly, marking up my new bible with pastoral comments, teachings, and verse notations. One of my favorite verses is 1 Peter 1:8-9, “Though you have not seen him, you love him; though not seeing him now, you believe in him, and you rejoin with inexpressible and glorious joy, because you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”
My Life After Jesus Saved Me
Each day I become stronger in my faith and confidence to talk to others about my love for Jesus. I find myself leaning more heavily into Him, learning to place trust in Him and His plan, finding peace and happiness in Him each day, and realizing that the ways of this world will eventually end but His love for me is eternal. I know I had a debt I could have never repaid, and many times during worship, an unworthiness to receive God’s grace grabs my heart, bringing out much emotion, but I know Jesus’ sacrifice gives me the worthiness that I so deeply desire. “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation” (Romans 10:9-10). Jesus IS Lord, and I love him with all my heart. I look forward to that day when I can bow before him and be welcomed by him into heaven.