(pictured on right)
God’s grace in saving me is so clear! I grew up in a non-Christian home. My parents were Buddhist by tradition and I had no exposure to Christianity. I didn’t meet my first Christian friend until 7th grade. My world consisted of my family, doing well in school, and extra-curricular activities. I had no desire to know God. I wasn’t even sure if God existed. My friend is 7th grade was a pastor’s daughter. She invited me to youth group and I went to see if it would be any fun. Well, I didn’t think it was very fun. I thought the Christians at church were hypocrites and had no desire to be like them or believe in their God. I stood in judgment of others, thinking I was more holy, and righteous enough in my own good morals. In my pride, I couldn’t see that I was the hypocrite. I needed a Savior.
God, in His goodness, began to humble me in high school. I had put all my expectations for happiness on my family and friends. I began to see more clearly that human relationships will always fail you. I was sad and depressed, and felt lonely even though I had many friends. I found myself wondering if there was a God, and at one point, even tried to pray to this God whom I did not know. In my stubbornness and pride, I didn’t want to ask my Christian friend about God. I waited until an opportunity to go to a Christian Winter Camp came up my junior year. I asked my friend if I could go. The first message I heard at camp was about the gospel, and I understood, and wholeheartedly desired to believe. I knew I was a sinner. In my heart, I knew I was wicked and can do nothing on my own to reconcile myself to God. Only through Christ could I be reconciled to the Father, the One who could never fail, who lived and loved perfectly, “the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2).
My sadness and depression turned to joy! “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17). God has blessed me beyond measure. My first two years as a Christian had many highs and lows – the excitement of being a new follower of Jesus, the shame of sins like idolatry and apathy, the pain of chastening, and eventual joy of repentance and obedience. During that second year, God so lovingly brought me to a church that loved His word, where its people loved one another because they knew and loved God. My years at Grace Church have been a huge blessing! I have been loved, lead, taught, encouraged and discipled by godly brothers and sisters in Christ. I’ve also had the wonderful privilege of using the gifts given to me to serve the church, particularly with regards to discipleship. Colossians 1:28-29: “We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ. For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.”
I am challenged each day to love God more, to look to the cross and be really thankful that Christ, God in the flesh, died on the cross for a sinner like me. Paul wrote in Galatians 6:14: “But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”
God’s grace in saving me is so clear! I grew up in a non-Christian home. My parents were Buddhist by tradition and I had no exposure to Christianity. I didn’t meet my first Christian friend until 7th grade. My world consisted of my family, doing well in school, and extra-curricular activities. I had no desire to know God. I wasn’t even sure if God existed. My friend is 7th grade was a pastor’s daughter. She invited me to youth group and I went to see if it would be any fun. Well, I didn’t think it was very fun. I thought the Christians at church were hypocrites and had no desire to be like them or believe in their God. I stood in judgment of others, thinking I was more holy, and righteous enough in my own good morals. In my pride, I couldn’t see that I was the hypocrite. I needed a Savior.
God, in His goodness, began to humble me in high school. I had put all my expectations for happiness on my family and friends. I began to see more clearly that human relationships will always fail you. I was sad and depressed, and felt lonely even though I had many friends. I found myself wondering if there was a God, and at one point, even tried to pray to this God whom I did not know. In my stubbornness and pride, I didn’t want to ask my Christian friend about God. I waited until an opportunity to go to a Christian Winter Camp came up my junior year. I asked my friend if I could go. The first message I heard at camp was about the gospel, and I understood, and wholeheartedly desired to believe. I knew I was a sinner. In my heart, I knew I was wicked and can do nothing on my own to reconcile myself to God. Only through Christ could I be reconciled to the Father, the One who could never fail, who lived and loved perfectly, “the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2).
My sadness and depression turned to joy! “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17). God has blessed me beyond measure. My first two years as a Christian had many highs and lows – the excitement of being a new follower of Jesus, the shame of sins like idolatry and apathy, the pain of chastening, and eventual joy of repentance and obedience. During that second year, God so lovingly brought me to a church that loved His word, where its people loved one another because they knew and loved God. My years at Grace Church have been a huge blessing! I have been loved, lead, taught, encouraged and discipled by godly brothers and sisters in Christ. I’ve also had the wonderful privilege of using the gifts given to me to serve the church, particularly with regards to discipleship. Colossians 1:28-29: “We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ. For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.”
I am challenged each day to love God more, to look to the cross and be really thankful that Christ, God in the flesh, died on the cross for a sinner like me. Paul wrote in Galatians 6:14: “But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”