I was raised in a Christian household. We went to church, prayed before meals, and read the Word before bed. These are habits that I’ve tried (and sometimes, failed) to keep up with throughout my life. But the important thing was that from a young age, I was able to build a personal relationship with God, and to grow in accordance with his teachings. I can’t possibly imagine how my life would have been had I not received the gift of knowing Jesus while growing up. And it was, fortunately, this gift that played a significant role in helping me reach this milestone on my journey of faith.
Through the grace of God, I’ve been given the strength and guidance that I need, even through arduous circumstances. In the face of family issues, academic stress, or other times when my spiritual life felt stagnant, God has always been by my side. This was made especially clear to me when Ephesians 2:8-9 was brought to my attention a few months ago (For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast). Despite the crushing weight of sin, it is ultimately God’s enduring grace and unfailing love, that reminds me that I am saved, and why I choose to follow him.
when my spiritual life felt stagnant, God has always been by my side
Alongside my brothers and sisters in Christ, I’m getting baptised today as a public declaration of my faith, but also as a recognition of my promise to follow God. I’ve always thought of myself as a Christian, and I’ve wanted to get baptised for a long time, but it was only recently when I started to consider the significance of baptism, and what it meant for my relationship with God. This is the first of, hopefully, many more steps I will take to live my life according to his will, and to grow in his abounding love. Baptism is a vital part of every journey of faith, and I’m really grateful to have the opportunity to be baptised here at St. Andrews.
It’s been a little over two years since I first stepped foot into St. Andrews. For me, it feels as if I’ve been part of this church family forever. But for many of those getting baptised or confirmed today, they’ve been coming to this church for five, ten, even twenty years — much longer than I have. And so I’m glad, that regardless of how long we’ve been here, St. Andrews has encouraged us to take those important steps in our spiritual journey. It’s never too early, or too late, to accept Jesus into our lives.
