A Decade of Following Jesus

Ten years ago God saved me.

What a mind boggling sentence. This blog is my personal testimony of the goodness and lovingkindness of Jesus in my life; but it’s also meant to encourage you, fellow believer. God can save anyone. He can save the serial adulterer, the hypocritical religious zealot, the murderer, the liar and thief. He can even save me, the one who didn’t think he needed saving.

Back in 2013 I was spending time with my then-girlfriend, Shale (now my wife). We were simply talking about our future and, for some reason, I begin taking about the future in general. We talked briefly about how technology will change and how that can sometimes be frightening. Then, out of the blue—not really “out of the blue” looking back—I said these words: What if Jesus comes back? I want to be living right.

It was in that moment that I truly believe God saved me.

God reached down and miraculously took my heart of stone and gave me a heart of flesh.

I look back a few months or even a year and feel disheartened by my lack of sanctification. But when I look back to who I was when God saved me, the difference is night and day. I am a different person. As Scripture testifies, so it is true: I am a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).

God truly changed me. The sin I once loved, I now abhor. God, whom I was apathetic toward—at the very least—I now know and love as my Heavenly Father. I still sin, of course—that’s a given. But that night He saved me, my attitude changed. I began to see my sin as it should be seen, in light of the holiness of God. I started to notice the areas where I fail miserably and God redeemed them for His glory.

Some sinful habits went away practically immediately. A few habits, annoyingly so, did not go away so quickly and easily. The struggle began; but oh, it is a good struggle. For the struggle reveals a changed heart, a new affection, a sincere desire to be like Christ and not be like my old self.

And I stand here today, 10 years later, still following Jesus—only by God’s grace. If it were left up to my strength, my willpower, my decisiveness, I would’ve abandoned Jesus on day one. But He has held me, and helped me persevere.

I cannot believe it’s been a full decade. The Lord saved me in the blink of an eye and changed my entire life. And I hope he’s done that for you, too.

Here’s to many, many more years—the rest of my life and for all eternity—of loving, following, and worshipping the Lord.