A year has passed since I created this blog to express my thoughts in writing and yet I only have one post to show for it. The vows I made to myself to write more about my life experiences didn't necessarily come to fruition and I honestly have no idea why. Maybe because for the past year, it came to a point when I didn't have any ideas to share and interesting stories to tell. I was stuck in a rut and I simply didn't want to have anything to do with writing anymore. Fast forward to today and somehow, I feel like I'm being pushed by a "great and overwhelming force" to write this story. The story about how I came to know Christ as my Savior in hopes of inspiring people to take that one small step to accept Him in their lives.
In the eyes of the world, it's considered utterly absurd when you speak of Christ and His glorious ways. People find it ridiculous when you associate yourself with people who are passionate about Him and would even go as far as dismissing this as nonsensical because it just doesn't conform to what society dictates us to do. This generation thrives on power and self-love and taking the time to seek the Giver rather than the gift won't do for most of us because we are too busy earning our way to the top that we fail to recognize the things that matter most. This is the sad truth of the world that we live in today and I think it's about time for us to invest more on treasures in heaven rather than the ones here on earth which are nothing short of fleeting and temporary(Matthew 6:19-21).
Let me begin my testimony by making it known that I am a baptized Catholic like all the other members of my family. I also wanted you to understand that this post is never meant to compare Religions and I will apologize if I will offend anyone but this is a personal account and I aim to be as honest as I can be.
It was never a custom in our household to attend church every Sunday when I was growing up and truth be told, I only knew about God and His creations in Religion class. We were repeatedly taught to obey His commandments so we can go to Heaven and you know for a fact that that kids at that age will believe whatever an adult would maker her believe. I tried to do my best to "please" God by going to church but something still didn't add up. I couldn't concentrate on the sermon and I always got distracted due in part to the large number of church attendees. Whenever my friends would invite me over to attend mass, I would constantly decline because I didn't see the point of going when my mind is anywhere but there. For years, I convinced myself that I will eventually go to church in my own terms and in my own time without having been forced to. The only time I came back was when I made a promise to God that I will attend mass again if He would let me pass my Licensure Exam and when He did, I went through the motions for a few months and then it came to a stop when I started working.
After a coupe of years, an ex-significant other invited me to accompany him into their Born-Again Christian church and I accepted without batting an eye because it's not like I had anything to lose. When I look back in hindsight, I realize that that invitation was perfectly timed at a point when I needed an anchor in my life. Someone to provide me strength and peace even in times of adversities. Someone who can freely give eternal happiness much deeper than that of material things. Someone with whom I was looking elsewhere to fill up the emptiness in me but found it in Him.
In witnessing the congregation's praising and worshiping with fervor, I knew from then on that God in his wondrous and mysterious ways,through the Holy Spirit, stirred up an "awakening" inside me. One that I have been missing all along. A sense of peace and joyfulness washed over me to be with people whose common goal was to praise Him and to thank Him for everything that He has given even when we frequently fail Him. From that moment on, I had developed a habit of going to this particular church every Sunday and I found myself being too absorbed with the Pastor's convictions and Bible interpretations that I got curious and started reading it on my own discovering along the way magnificent things about Jesus, Our Savior.
But it is also true what they say about the devil preying on those close to God and I am not an exception. I must say that I wasn't immune to the temptations of the enemy and most times I gave in each time I was more ashamed than ever. Guilt worked its way up my heart and I was too embarrassed to ask forgiveness that eventually I backslid. However, because of His boundless love and mercy, I eventually snapped out of my self-imposed isolation and found comfort in His arms once again.
When the pastor preached one day about Salvation-which is an unmerited favor from God(Ephesians 2:8-9) it touched me at my core because I have come to know right then that it is impossible to save ourselves, we need Jesus in our lives to save us. We can never be included in the Book of Life if we only rely on ourselves and on our good works. We have been separated from God since the beginning of time by sinning against Him but God gave us His only Son, to die on the cross for us as a sacrificial lamb to save us from the wrath of sins which is death. For those who believe in Him will not perish and will have eternal life.(John 3:16). We were undeserving of this grace from God. Something we didn't earn but God with His relentless kindness wanted us to live so we may have an an abundant and meaningful life.
What then can we do as response for the sacrifice of Christ? We only need to admit that we are a sinner, be prepared to repent/turn away from our sins, believe what He has done on the cross for us and trust Christ's forgiveness to let Him take control of our life.
I know these are easier said than done because man has a sinful nature but if we only armor ourselves with our convictions so we can stand against the devil's schemes along with prayers and meditating on His Word day and night, I know we can do all these things through Him who strengthens us. Sure there will be a few bumps along the way but if we are true Christians, we will go back to Him even if we sin a thousand times over. It is when we have fully accepted Jesus will we deviate from our wordly lust and cravings because we know that His promises are a million times better than what this world can offer.
I, for one, has just started this journey and it is far from being easy. I've already stumbled a few times but I'm always willing to pick up the pieces and start all over again for I realize that it doesn't matter how much I fail, God with His infinite love and mercy will always be with me once I come back to Him. It's how we get to the finish line that matters.
I hope this post can shed some light to those who keep on chasing the wonders of this world. I'm not saying you shouldn't have fun and make the most of your life by all means you can do all your heart's desire but above anything else, we need to prioritize Him over everything,seek His advise before making decisions and let Him be present in your daily life. Talk to Him and He would like nothing more than listen to you. For He is all ready to knock on that door for you to let Him into your hearts and minds. Don't you think it's about time to give back and do all things that please Him, worship Him because of who He is and not because of His blessings?
How lovely would it be for us to have eternal life with the One who created us. :)
