Scrap Of Faith

How has God changed me since I became a Christian? Let me count the ways …

Well if I did, and wrote about each and very one, this article would be very very long – Praise God!

But in trying to keep it short, I’d probably have to say the major changes in me are the way I see my past, present and future…

I’m no different to anyone else really. I’ve had bad stuff happen to me. I’ve made lots of mistakes, some of them real biggies. I’ve been hurt and scarred, held back and tied down, pushed aside, disappointed – you name it, we’ve all had it in our lives, haven’t we? And I’ve hurt other people too. I’ve done my best to take responsibility where the fault was mine, and to try and move on with my life and do the best with what I’ve had.

But my efforts were only ever tiny little bandaids compared with the healing that Jesus can bring into your life when you become a Christian.

Having Jesus in my life has given me opportunities to experience real healing for much of the bad stuff. Fears. Phobias. Unforgiveness. Anger. Doesn’t matter what it was, nothing was too big for Him to handle. All I had to do, all I ever have to do is continue to be willing to listen to His promptings and go after the healing when the next thing pops up it’s head needing attention and dealing with. I’m a work in progress. And despite all of the yuk of the past – He is a faithful God. He has, and continues to bring all things (even the bad stuff) together for good, for me who loves Him and is called according to His purpose. That’s Romans 8:28 constantly at work in my life. But it isn’t only a promise to me – it’s for you too, you who are reading this – if you choose to believe in Him and allow Him Lordship in your life.

When I look at my life now, at my future in this earthly world, I see a purpose.
I’m here for a reason. It’s all part of God’s plan. There’s always hope and a future.

Jeremiah 29:11 says For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

He has work for me to do every single day that He gives me on this earth. I never have to be aimless or wonder what it’s all about. He has a plan for me, unique to me, and all I have to do to walk in it is to stay plugged in to Him and give time to my relationship with Him, because it is in that time that the steps of the journey are revealed, and the trust to step out and obey is built up. Often the steps are outside my comfort zone. (Sometimes so far out there it’s almost laughable). But He’s given me an unbreakable safety net into which I can bounce and be continually blessed, if only I am willing to obey and make the first jump.

So since becoming a Christian I have God’s perspective to lean on for my past and my future. I see it all through His eyes, not mine – and certainly not the world’s, who would only ever see me as just another number amongst the countless thousands, even millions who are struggling to make sense of life without Him and without hope today.

And the present?

Proverbs 3:5-6 says

Trust in the Lord with all of your heart, and lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him – and He will make your paths straight.

Since becoming a Christian I know I have been able to choose to trust Him every day with everything in my life – rather than lean on my own understanding of situations which compared to His view is hopelessly flawed and incomplete and biased. When I choose to acknowledge Him - both privately and publically - He does lead me on paths that will get me to where I need to go with Him.

All my life I’ve been looking for safety – somewhere I could feel truly safe and protected. As I said, I’m still a work in progress, but I’ll continue to be hungry for my healing because each time I let Him in to do a bit more work on me, that place of safety becomes more and more a reality in my life. The safety net doesn’t break, despite how hard I fall. But choosing to trust Him is a choice. My choices are the active part of my faith – choice is never passive. And no one else can do it for you.

Easter is a time when we particularly focus on Christ’s death for us and what that has meant for us as Christians. When Jesus died for me, He not only gave me the opportunity to have an eternal future with Him (the ultimate safe place), He opened the way for me to come directly into the presence of my Heavenly Father and to experience all of the healing that I have up until now, and will continue to be able to have until my time on earth is through. I can know my purpose directly from God Himself. Jesus died so I could have that relationship. And Jesus is always there with me, interceding for me with the Father, as does the Holy Spirit. God looks at me and doesn’t see all my sin, all the garbage from the past, or even the sin I’ll no doubt bring again to Him tomorrow – He forgives me, and see my sin no more – He just sees Jesus.

Words never seem enough, especially at Easter, but thankyou Jesus for my healing, thankyou for my purpose, thankyou that I can trust you with my past, present and future. Thankyou.
Thankyou.
How do I count the ways … ?

Article by Tracey Smith

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