A Milestone

Yesterday marked a spiritual milestone for me. Twenty-five years ago, on March 24th, I made the most important decision in my life - I accepted Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior. Even though it was a long time ago and I was very young, I remember everything about that moment as clearly as if it had just happened. Growing up as a pastor's daughter, I was practically raised in church and knew all the right answers. On that day, however, it all came together. I realized that I had to make a personal decision for myself to ask Jesus to forgive me of my sins and to take charge of my life.

I thank my parents for the role that they played in my spiritual life. Their end goal was not that I become a Christian - that was just the starting point. They modeled, discipled, and encouraged  me to make my faith in Jesus a part of my daily life and a deciding factor for every decision I make - whether big or small. I also thank Andy for being such a spiritual encourager in my life. He prays for me daily and promotes my growth in my walk with Christ. Also, even though they don't realize it, Emma Lee and Kerri greatly impact my spiritual growth. Nothing makes me want to model Christ more than the knowledge that they are constantly watching and learning from me.

Although twenty-five years as a believer should bring great joy and excitement to me (and it does), I have to admit that my strongest reactions are ones of sadness and disappointment . . . in myself. Twenty-five. Twenty-five years of being a Christian. Does my location on the map of my journey with Christ match how far I should be after twenty-five years? I feel like after that long I should be so much ahead of where I actually am. These feelings and a talk with Andy led to my searching the Scriptures to develop a plan for this next year. What spiritual changes do I want to see in my life this year? I don't want to look back in the next year or decade or after another twenty-five years and be in the same place that I am right now.

My number one goal is to become a stronger "ambassador for Christ" (2 Cor. 5:20). Whoever I come in contact with should know (because I make it clear through my words and not just my actions) that I represent Christ. 2 Cor. 5:16 says, "Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh." I must not evaluate people as people but as souls destined for either heaven or hell. I can't meet someone, have a nice conversation with them, and walk away thinking what a nice person they are. I must look past their "flesh" to find out if they know their eternal destination. 

Witnessing is probably my weakest point in my Christian walk. I have met many people who irritate me because it seems like all they do is talk "Christianese," and sometimes it comes off as more of a show than being based in sincerity. Many times in the past, I have used this as an excuse for myself because I wanted to avoid becoming someone like that. I have often relied on the thought, "Well, my actions can show people that I'm a Christian, I don't have to come right out and talk about it." However, if I really believe that I know the only way to be saved and many of the people I come in contact (however briefly) do not have this knowledge, shouldn't I share it with them and not leave it up to their wild guesses or imaginations? I know that there is a balance between these two extremes, and I don't think that with my nature and personality I have to worry about going overboard - it has merely been an excuse. It is my prayer that for the rest of my life God will use me to help lead others to Him.