For the past couple of months I have been taking a class called Outreach through our church. I have learned a simple way to share the Gospel through The Diagram. I decided to take the class not only because I am excited about my relationship with Jesus and want to share the love, but also because I really just wanted to learn more. I want to have answers when friends, family, or strangers ask me about being a Christian so that I'm not just a mumbling idiot. I have loved the class and have learned so much. Last week everyone in the class got to share their testimony. It was amazing! I love hearing how God has changed people's lives.
Here is my personal testimony.
Before I was a Christian, I had my own plan for my life. Things didn't happen for me the way I wanted or as quickly as I wanted. I was angry, frustrated, and disappointed. I was doing the best I could to make myself happy and not feeling like I was getting to that point.
One experience I had was about a year ago. I had gotten laid off from my job and was working at a job I absolutely hated waiting for the right thing came along. I was trying so hard to find a good job and crying before work everyday. I was miserable. I had done everything in my power to get a satisfying job. Having a good job was one of the many things I thought would make me happy. I remember driving home one day and saying a random prayer. I got to the point that I was DONE being being angry and feeling helpless. I told God that I could not do this on my own. I was giving my life to Him. I told Him MY plan was not working and that I knew He had a plan for me and I was ready to follow. I remember telling him I was sorry for being so selfish and not asking for his help sooner. My prayers were immediately answered. As soon as I decided to trust God with my life and to follow His plan I felt a huge weight lifted off my shoulders. I stopped worrying and just waited. I knew that things would work out and get easier. And they did, I got a job offer the next week.
Since then, I have trusted God completely. My life has gone from chaos to comfort. I now know that having a good job, or getting married, or having kids right NOW, or having a cute little dog, or anything temporary is not what is going to make me truly happy. Having a relationship with God and knowing 100% that I can spend eternity with him is what makes me happy and always will. Knowing that because I believe in Jesus Christ and that he died on the cross so that I could have eternal life with Him is the most comforting thing to me. I am so thankful that Jesus did the work for me and I don't need to earn my way to heaven. I now thank God everyday that I don't have to do this alone and I can't wait to meet on the other side!
A little side note:
I grew up in a small town where all my family and friends were raised LDS. I remember being little and neighbor kids saying they couldn't play with me because I wasn't Mormon. And kids telling me that I wouldn't be with my family in heaven because our family wasn't sealed in the temple. Those things stuck with me and I couldn't imagine that God would keep me from my family like that. Growing up I always wanted to fit in and be like the other kids and be accepted. I was always different, but knew I wasn't a bad person.
I am so thankful to my friend that invited me to The Rock Church. I love that the teachings are straight from The Bible and that I have learned so much in the past year. Especially knowing that I don't have to earn my way to heaven. Religion, Philosophy, Doing Good Works and the Best I Can is not what is going to get me there. Jesus did the work for us all and it's by believing in him that we can know 100% that we will spend eternity in heaven with him. Is there anything better than that?!
So, how sure are you that if you died tonight that you would go to heaven? And what will you say to God when He asks you why He should let you into His heaven?
I'm sure this post will get very few if any comments, because it is a touchy subject to a lot of people. I would LOVE to hear any feedback, thoughts, praise, questions, concerns, etc.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
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6 comments:
Awesome!!! I'm glad you know how much God loves you and I'm glad you know him and love him back! It's a great to feel the love and comfort that comes from such a special relationship. I'm so happy for you and it's been neat to see you grow and find peace. I love you lots!
Yay Nicki!!!! I love it and I think you're awesome!! Thanks for sharing for heart. I have so enjoyed getting to know you in class!
love you, andrea
Religion is great no matter what religion. I think it is so awesome that you have your own testimony! You are a great person with one of the biggest hearts I know. I love you and look up to you!
I loved reading your testimony. It's a breath of fresh air to see your faith, when so many people all around us are depressed and despondent in life! I feel really bad when I hear stories like the one you shared about your LDS neighbors; many of my family members, including my mom, felt this kind of rejection from LDS people, and it makes me sick! I am LDS as you know, and feel very strong about my faith. I plan to raise my child as someone who respects people of all faiths. That being said, you can't always control what kids say, and as you know they often say what's on their mind and don't always have a lot of tact! You are such a strong woman! You are awesome!
Hey so I think its sweet that your posting all these like this. That was a good idea. I'm so glad you have your testimony and I really do see a difference in your life since you have found this. I am SO happy for you. I just want to say one thing... I have heard those comments my whole life too growing up and I thought and still think the same way you do about it, but just so you know those are things KIDS say. I wouldn't base my opinion of a church off this. If you want to know about something like that, ask an educated person about it. I'm not saying I know everything there is to know but if you ever want anything cleared up, you can ask me whatever you would like. Just cause I had the same experiences with it as you have. I didn't join just to fit in with the rest of the community. I joined because I knew and felt with every bit of my heart that it was true and right and still do. I'm not saying you have to believe the things I do. I see a difference in your life and am so happy for you. I just feel like your testimony is so strong but then in the next paragraph to bring down another church takes away from the Spirit of it, if you know what I mean. I love hearing about your testimony and your love of Jesus Christ but then to try to make it stronger by bringing down another church just doesn't sit well with me, no matter what church it is. I know that sometimes it can seem that there are judgemental people in our church but there are lousy people and great people in each religion. That was one of my hardest things when I joined was that a lot of people thought that I had to have been a 'bad' girl before i joined because I wasn't a member, but I am choosing to raise my kids in a different way and being open and familiar with other religions and I feel it is important not to base my opinion of churches because of some of the people I meet but because of the teachings and answers to my questions. I love you more than you know! And I am so happy you have found this happiness in your life. I appreciate your willingness to share all this on your blog and think you are so strong. I love you. Feel free to talk to me about it anytime. I love it! LOVE YOU!
I think I need to clear something up here. I realize that the things that were said to me were just kids talking. My point was not to put a religion down to lift me up. I was stating that as a personal experience. I shared that experience because I couldn't imagine a God that would separate me from my family in Heaven because we weren't sealed together as a family in the temple.
I have since learned that The Bible says that you don't earn your way to Heaven. Jesus paid the price for us by dying on the cross for our sins. "For it is by grace we are saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast." Ephesians 2:8-9.
I guess the purpose of me posting that experience, was that I have my answer now. I know that God would not keep me from being with my family in Heaven.
I wasn't trying to single out the Mormon religion. It could have been any religion. The Mormon religion is what I grew up around. The point I'm trying to make is that The Bible says religion is not the answer, Jesus is.
I love you all and I appreciate the feedback.
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