Other than God’s Word, there’s no better way to proclaim the miracle of the cross than to share our personal story of when Christ’s death and resurrection changed our lives. Here’s my story.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.
Psalm 23:4, ESV
Depression became my foe while alone in a hotel room. My friend had plans without me, which meant I spent the day with nothing to do. My depression felt like death. When I found a Bible in the drawer, I read Psalm 23 and hoped the words “for you are with me” were true. I prayed and asked God to help me get my life on the right track, because misery awaited me if I didn’t make essential changes.
I grew up believing I was a Christian—attended church, could quote the Ten Commandments, and believed in God. What more was there?
After graduating from high school, I headed the wrong way in life. I didn’t hang out with the “obedient kids,” which distressed my parents. For three years I tried to find myself and discovered I needed to focus more on the Lord.
Two months after praying in the hotel room, my mom and I started attending a nearby church. On our first visit, I decided I was where I needed to be, but fear held me back. What did God want from me? The church was beginning a series of evangelistic revival services, and we discussed whether we should attend. We were both terrified they might call us up to the front of the church. But we went anyway.
On the final night of the revival, something happened inside me. But during the prayer time at the end of the service, my mom looked at me and said, “If you go forward to pray, I’ll die of embarrassment!” I responded, “I’m not going up to the front of the church—don’t worry!” We both knew we needed to pray and accept Christ into our lives, but neither of us wanted to take the first step.
After a restless week because of the Holy Spirit’s conviction, I looked at Mom the following Sunday during prayer and said, “I have to go to the front, now!” She nodded, because the Holy Spirit had moved in her heart too. I hurried forward and met Jesus that day. He became my Lord and Savior. I realized that in my head I’d assumed I was a Christian because I believed in God, but I didn’t know Him in my heart. On that Sunday, Jesus became my everything, and I confessed Him as my Lord. I began a lifelong relationship with Him, and later in the week, my mom too, received Christ into her heart and life.
Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from
the dead, you will be saved.
Romans 10:9, ESV
Have you decided to follow Christ? Do you believe in your heart, and not just in your head, God raised Jesus from the dead? My prayer for you today is that your story is like my story and you, too, can say “Jesus is my Lord.”
Photo by Thanti Nguyen - Unsplash