Where Did My Faith Story Begin?

Remember when you said yes to Jesus? I was eight years old and understood it as best I could: Jesus was for me, not against me. He not only created me but had my days numbered, so I could trust Him with my life. On my own, I could not keep myself from thinking wrong or doing wrong. I needed help from Someone who was perfect; though He had been tempted in every way, He was without sin (see Heb. 4:15). I needed Someone who thought I was worth it to come down and die for my sins so I didn’t have to—all out of love.

This one act on the cross saved me. Jesus then beat death, came back to life, and left His Spirit to guide me—and you—today. This is the Good News. This is our hope. And yet I forget. I live spoiled as I go through my days, keeping the most precious gift of salvation tucked away for the afterlife. That is not Christianity—to take the free gift of salvation and eternal life for ourselves but not let it change us to the point of sharing it with others.

But if He has changed your life, then you are grateful today that Jesus loves someone like you, can forgive someone like you, and has died for you. You’ve got a story to tell simply because you’re living a life that has been changed by Him. Your “now” story is built on the foundation of your salvation story. While you’ve gone back to the moment when you put your trust in Jesus, you don’t necessarily tell this story every time. You tell what God is doing through your pain or in your day.

No matter what you’ve believed before, reconnecting with your Jesus story is necessary to connect with others’ stories. When I started believing this, I stopped being intimidated by the culture I live in and started becoming influenced by Jesus.

Are you remembering? I hope so, because your story is needed wherever you go.

Prayer: Thank God for the person who told you about Jesus. If possible, send them a note of gratitude today.