Before Jesus Changed My Life
I grew up in a Christian home, going to church every Sunday, but never really understood what it meant to be a Christian until I started going to Youth a couple of years ago. It made me realize how much sin I’d truly been living in, and how I was not living for God at all. I was struggling to find who I was and what my purpose was. I was depressed and felt like I didn’t have anyone, and was doing worldly things to try to fill the void and my desires. I then heard someone ask ‘on a scale of 1-10 if Jesus came back right now, would you go to heaven?’ At the time, I said 6, and then they said if you aren’t living like a 10, then you aren’t saved. That’s when I realized the seriousness of being all in on Jesus.
How Jesus Changed My Life
When I started taking Jesus seriously, he brought me up out of the depression and anxiety I was living in and brought me to him. In John 13:7, Jesus says, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” Through my hardships and struggles, I found joy in Jesus. He showed me that it’s ok to feel left out when you are doing it for the glory of God.
God changed my life and brought joy back into it. I will never forget the feeling of lifting my hand in church for the first time and truly understanding God and his awesomeness. In Philippians 4:11-13, Paul says, “...I have learned, in whatever situation I am, to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” This passage is a great reminder that with Jesus, any obstacle and hill I come to, I can accomplish in him because his will is going to be done.
My Life After Jesus Saved Me
Since giving my life to Christ, it is so much different now because I know I have Jesus on my side, and he isn’t going anywhere. Galatians 2:20 says, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” My relationships are better, and my love for people and God's creation is so much more. My hope is found in Jesus because of the things I’ve seen him do in my life. I now see sin differently and don’t have the desire to do it nearly as much because I know how much it hurts Jesus. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” When temptation comes, I put myself in the presence of him whether it’s in prayer or listening to worship music. 1 Peter 1:16 says “since it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’” I now feel an urge to spread God’s Word with others and show his love. One of my favorite verses is Romans 6:23, which says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” This reminds me that the sin we commit is punishable by death, but Christ died on the cross in our place because he loved us so much, and this displays how glorious God is. How lucky I am to serve and love our God.