Following Christ: A Reflection of The Past Decade

Do you have moments in your walk with the Lord that you’ll never forget? Ones where God powerfully shows up and radically transforms you as a person? One of mine was ten years ago this February. I remember the dark and weary cloud of depression that was looming over me at the time. I was headed in the wrong direction and I was left hopeless. Until the Lord, in his sheer mercy and loving kindness, brought me out of my darkness and into His marvelous light. I clearly remember the night I cried out to the Lord, turned from my sinful ways and understood I was truly forgiven. He graciously met me right where I was, filled me with His powerful peace that surpasses understanding and set me on a total different path. I no longer thought that living according to my own agenda and asking God to “bless it” was good enough. For so long I was living as a “fan” of Christ but I wasn’t truly following Him as Lord and Shepherd of my life. I had it completely backwards and I knew it was time to trust God to lead me.

The first step I felt the Lord lead me to take was getting connected to the church I am now part of. As I took this step, I found myself under solid teaching of the Word and healthy fellowship in a community of believers. This was all new to me and I could not get enough of it. It radically transformed how I understood who God is and encouraged me in my relationship with Him. There was so much to learn and to work through as I began to walk with Jesus and by His help, apply the Word to the way I lived.

As I found myself following Christ, I experienced some of the hardest seasons I’ve yet to walk through but I can’t say they were hopeless like I was before. Though there were hard and good times, the Lord showed me that the secure and eternal hope I longed for is only found in Him. In life and death: I belong to Him, this life is not all there is and one day He will make all things new. While we wait until that day, He will never forsake or abandon us, He will remain near and give us the strength to endure. Even in the times where I was faithless, where I depended upon myself instead of God, when I fell short and sinned- God never left me. He patiently stood by me, comforted me, pointed me to the truth of His Word. He loved me and cared for me through the generosity of my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. He brought me out of sin patterns I was once enslaved to, molded and shaped me to look less like my old self and more like Christ. He showed me by His example when Christ came not to be served but to serve; that living for my own Kingdom is not worth it, it will get me no where good but more dark and isolated. I was created by my creator to have fellowship with Him, being filled by His life giving love to pour out to those around me, serving others and extending His great Kingdom instead. As I learned to follow Him by His empowerment, He gave me true and deep joy, peace, hope and life in Him.

“The seasons change, and you change, but your Lord abides evermore the same, and the streams of His love are as deep, as broad, and as full as ever.” - Charles Spurgeon

When I look back at what God did in my life ten years ago, I am dumbfounded and in awe with gratitude. I am grateful that Christ saved me and brought me into His family. I am grateful that He rescued me from the dark path of destruction and separation from Him that I was headed in. I am grateful that He has never left my side over these years when I didn't serve Him perfectly. I am grateful that even as life has changed, as I have changed, His character has remainded constant. I am grateful that He loves His children because this is who He is, His love is not something we can earn. I am grateful that He has been a patient father and gentle shepherd to correct me in His overwhelming love and kindness. I am grateful that by His grace, He will continue to walk with me and change me for my good and His glory in all the decades to come.