Know for yourself

John 4:42 ~

"They said to the woman, "It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Saviour of the world.""

Recently I was asked why, if I grew up in the church, did it take so long for me to accept Jesus as my personal Lord and Saviour. I could've given a number of reason s, but the real reason is that I was believing in Jesus through others, I didn't know Him myself. And how could I have? I hardly ever read my Bible in my own time. All the verses I had knowledge of I'd heard at Sunday School, in the main services at church or from parents and friends.

I accepted what people said was true at face value, but it didn't have any major bearing on my life. All it inspired me to do was live by good morals, it didn't inspire me to seek after a relationship with God. There are dangers attached to believing based on other's experiences/testimonies. They may impact you for a little while, but unless you seek those experiences/truths yourself the effects are likely to wear off quickly.

In John 4:42, the Samaritans said, "... we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Saviour of the world." [emphasis added]. So, in addition to the aforementioned danger, there is also a chance that you didn't fully believe in the first place.

As a teen I was quite apathetic, so the change began when I suddenly had all these inquisitive people around me. They were not satisfied with just hearing about the Bible, they would read it and ask God for their own interpretation - something that I had never considered.

One friend from college was especially fond of quoting scripture, and it became increasingly difficult to hang around with him without contributing much to our discussions. And so, the quest for more knowledge began. It was about time too. Hosea 4:6 says in the New International Version, "My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge." Self-destruction is not my portion, neither will it be yours.

I'm very grateful for that friend's commitment at the time as he would also invite me to afternoon youth services after I'd attended my regular church in the mornings. It was there that I felt God tugging at my heart's strings when a girl from our college made an altar call after preaching.

I was still reluctant to go forward as I knew many of the youth in the congregation, and suspected that most would be shocked I hadn't made this decision already. This was not a valid excuse, what is pride if not a burden? So I went up, said a prayer, was prayed for, and felt some sort of release.

Almost 6 years on, I haven't looked back. I'm getting to know the real character of Jesus a little more every day, thus feeling closer to God. I can honestly say that over the years my relationship with God has compelled me to dramatically change my mindset. And my new way of thinking has changed EVERYTHING!

There will be trials and tribulations, and times when you wonder why you bother being a Christian - such is life - but let me tell you this:

The rewards during - and most importantly - after the battle, far outweigh the pains of the battle.

Keep on keepin on, the joy of the Lord is your strength.

God Bless,

Sunshine -`o -