Last week marked 15 years of being saved. I gave my life to Jesus Christ on July 5th, 2009, at the age of 10 (one day I’ll share my testimony).

To celebrate this, I wanted to share with you 15 things that I’ve learnt along the way in my journey with Jesus Christ.

It hasn’t been smooth sailing (not that Jesus ever promised that it would be). Regardless, He is faithful.

1. Christ alone

For by grace, you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2:8-9

You’ve probably heard this verse preached at you, taught on or read it yourself. Regardless, I cannot stress this enough. It is by grace that you have been saved, not of your own doing. To accept this truth requires humility. Faith in Christ’s finished work on the cross is recognizing that what he did for us is enough. As simple as this was, this was something I continued to struggle with so many times as a baby Christian.

The desire to boldly say ‘I did this’ without receiving help lies in all of us. Self-righteousness is rooted in pride, and boasting in self is sure to follow. This was the pitfall of the Pharisees in Jesus’ day, and it is still a stumbling for some unbelievers who believe they can get to the Father without believing in the Son. It wasn’t until I spent time in God’s word that I understood that I was too weak and degenerate to be able to live according to God’s standard. We all needed to be saved. I now understood what Paul meant when he said, ‘Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord’ (1 Corinthians 1:31)

2. Being a light

As a baby Christian, I used to think that for me to be a light in a dark place, I needed to be in places that were dark. Let me explain. I thought that for me to be a true witness, to evangelize, it meant I needed to go places to make Jesus known. It wasn’t until a situation happened many years ago where my convictions were challenged, that eventually I compromised. I thought by becoming like them, I would win them over. The reality was by becoming like them I was no different and what message could I possibly preach? If I was to preach a message, I would be walking in hypocrisy and it make a mockery out of God.

God rebuked me for this and since then has continued to strengthen me in my walk with Him. He helped me to see that the world is already dark literally and spiritually. We are lights of the world because Christ live in us, apart from this, we would be in the dark just like everyone else. For Christ to shine bright in our lives, it is dependent upon our willingness to be vessels. People should be able to see that there is something different about you by the way you live. You aren’t swayed by popular opinions or keep up with worldly trends. Even without saying a word, just by observing your lifestyle that can be convicting on its own.

3. Where does my help come from?

‘I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth’. 
Psalm 121:1-2

It’s very easy to say that God is where our help comes from but sometimes, we run to every other person to get our answers. And if all our plans and back-up plans fail, then we remember to run to God. This is no condemnation to you; I’ve been guilty of this too. What I’ve learnt is this, where you run to in your time of need reveals where you put your trust or find security. David understood that the only person whom he can run to is God and he didn’t stop there. He went on to acknowledge how great God is, that He is the One who made the heavens and the earth.

It’s an important reminder for us that we’re not running to a god. We’re running to the God who said, ‘Let there be’ and there was. The same God who parted the red sea and provided manna from heaven. The same God who delivered Daniel from the lion’s den and was with the three Hebrew men in the fire. The same God who doesn’t allow a single sparrow to fall to the ground is the same God who will also take care of you.

4. Look to Jesus only.

If there is anything that you take away from this point, is that Jesus is the only example we need. It’s very easy to compare ourselves to each other. Paul used the analogy of Christians being like members in the body, each of us have a role. What I’ve found is that when I take my eyes off of Christ, my eyes will be fixated on something or someone else. If we’re not careful, jealousy, envy, covetousness and comparison can enter our hearts.

You can be encouraged by another brother or sister’s testimony, ministry or relationship with God but they should not be the standard we measure ourselves with. It will either lead to pride or insecurity, both of which, are not of God. If you find this to be the case, ask yourself an honest question. Who are you looking at? Our standard should always be Jesus Christ, that we would look more like him. We become what we behold. Let us look to Jesus only .

5. Faithfulness (parable of the talents)

The parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30) have often been preached by others about not burying God’s talents. That is true. What God has also taught me is that the master never praised the servants for how much their talents have yielded. To the servant who had 5 talents and made 5 more talents, and the other servant who had 2 talents and made 2 more talents, he says ‘Well done my good and faithful servant’.

The master praised them for their obedience. I want you to know this, whatever God has asked you to do will always bear fruit. It may not look like the other people, but it is fruit, nonetheless. So, when we talk about being faithful to God, we’re also looking at obedience.

God is the master, and we are his servants. He gave us those talents for a reason, and He has every right to ask us about what we’re doing with it. When we invest into something, there is an expectation that there would be a return. God has an expectation that whatever He has given us would bring profit. His desire is for us to use what He has given us to advance the kingdom of God and reach the lost.

You can read part 2 here.

God bless,
Susan.