I was talking to a mitch5501 about this the other night. I think we all come to Christ with some baggage. Mine was religious, his non religious.
Raised in a Catholic family that included priests and a nun but aside from going to church every Sunday with mom, God didn’t play any kind of role in our day to day living.
I quit going to church at about 16 and started up again after I met Jesus at 22.
I had to hit rock bottom to turn to Jesus, and I told God that if He could straighten out this mess of a life of mine, He could have it. I’d do anything He wanted, even become a missionary and go to Africa, cause I’d rather be happy doing what He wanted than continue the way I was going.
He took me up on it and I’ve had no regrets since. It hasn’t always been easy, but He’s there and that’s all I need.
I was raised Mormon and believed that I must earn my salvation through covenants and ordinances....and that I could only partake of those covenants and ordinances if I attended enough meetings, paid 10%, abstained from alcohol, tobacco and coffee or tea. I also had to remain morally ‘pure’ by never having any sexual gratification, masturbation or watching ‘R’ rated movies, as well as all the other commandments. Only when you are ‘worthy’ can you attend the Temple and partake of the ordinances and covenants.
Long story short, I finally realized that I was a failure - I could never be perfect enough, so I quit that god. Of course I didn’t really know God. For over 20 years I wanted nothing at all to do with that polygamous man in the sky....
Finally the almighty God brought me to my knees and taught me about His grace and love. I accepted Him in 2002. I am His!
Grandparents on the side I almost never saw were very religious, but otherwise my upbringing was pretty anti-religion and in a dysfunctional home with addiction problems all around
I came to God myself in my early 20s after He forcefully sought me out with what I can only describe as a string of mini-miracles clearly indicating I was on the wrong track
ping
Most of all, if you don't feel you are a different person in Christ, if others in your family, close friends, co-workers, don't notice a difference in you, you probably need to open your bible, read the Book of John, get by yourself and search your heart to see if you truly feel repentant about your thoughts and actions, ask Christ to forgive you, thank Him for taking the place you deserve on that cross, ask Him or forgiveness and to come into your life and be with you forever!
The fact that you are reaching out, shows that you desire Him to be with you.
Night and day. I became a new creature in Christ with the focus of my life now being Jesus and living for Him.
Did you find it had a profound effect on your ability to empathize with others and see things from their perspective?
Eventually. It began right away but is still a work in progress. Old habits die hard and it took time but it did happen.
Did it make you less selfish and less antagonistic and did it make you more independent, productive and self sufficient?
Yes.
What were other changes that happened?
What happened almost immediately was that I realized I needed to get a Bible and start reading it and start attending church again. I read the Bible voraciously, just couldn't get enough of it.
Previously, the thought of attending church and reading the Bible would have bored me to tears. Not any more. Now I realize it's how I get to know my Savior better.
I met Christ at age 35 through the Catholic Church, almost 35 years ago. My whole life changed. Every aspect you can think of changed. Before, there was no meaning to anything. Now, there was meaning in everything. Above all, God was the center of my life and though I struggled and was led kicking and screaming into His light, I believe He let me glimpse His glory.
With all the in fighting between the Catholics, the Protestants, the Methodists and others, ad nauseum and all of them gang jumping on the Mormons, each claiming their religion is the true one, I'm of the mind that if all of them are wrong in the minds of the others, then they're all wrong and this so called "Christianity" thing is merely a cult of global opposing "christian" gangs..........
I'll remove the sarcasm tag now...../s...
But my sentiments remain the same, who's right? The Catholics, the Protestants, the Methodists, the Baptists, the Hindus, the Mormons, the Evangelicals, the..........etc, etc, etc.....?
And for as long as I've been a member here, I've encountered a hell of a lot of so called "christians" who have proven to be nothing but hypocrites based on their comments.........
Thank you Jesus! Bless each precious soul thatshared their story!
bfl
I started to take my brothers and sister to Sunday school.
Since then, (out of my siblings) I'm the only that has attended with any type of regularity.
I started out as a Presbyterian and am now a Southern Baptist. It has been a learning/growing experience throughout.
I didn't really notice a one-day-to-the-next radical change.
What I can say is as a Presbyter, "it" was more of a regimented structure to the service - with prayer recitals etc. And, it wasn't a huge drive to evangelize (at least at the churches I attended).
The first time I ever really Witnessed, where I was able to share the Word in a meaningful way? There was a lull in an intense firefight and one of my pagan subordinates (literally Caribbean pagan) was having mental difficulty. I pulled him aside and I read Psalm 23 to him. At the time I considered myself fairly knowledgeable of Scripture, but that was the only one that came to me in a hurry.
Later in life after a service, I felt this overwhelming sense of fulfillment and to look for another church. I attended a Baptist Church in the Southern Baptist Convention. I was baptized again - as they didn't recognize the sprinkling on the head. Again, I didn't see an one-day-to-the-next change.
Now, all that said. I can look back at the entirety and see a MAJOR change and a huge spiritual development and growth in spiritual maturity - even from adulthood Presby days to now.
I have a more profound relationship with Jesus. I am exponentially more likely to Witness and share the Gospel. I am more concerned with loving others and empathy/sympathy. The Word has Power that I didn't recognize before.
And, I am less "ashamed" of the Word. I don't really care about offending someone for speaking my belief - I'm not going to antagonize or force feed or guilt you with the Word. But I will and do unabashedly say grace before I eat, describe how God has helped me personally, and do random acts of discreet (you will never know it was me) acts of kindness.
I guess you could say I've always been independent and self sufficient; however, I am more trusting in God. I have less doubt and fear. I also extend the invitation for others to join me at church - I try to make them comfortable and to feel accepted. I have the urge and the duty to pray for them. I seek out the counsel and guidance of the Pastor and deacons, particularly when I need prayer (I'll FReep mail you an example).
In all and to end a long winded post - It has been a long walk with Christ. Where, He helped me through and developed me as I was spiritually mature enough to handle it.
My parents divorced when I was thirteen so after that we rarely were taken to Mass. I remember visiting my grandparents in the summers and hearing Billy Graham on TV. It had an effect on me though it took years for it to sink in what he was talking about. Sitting in Catholic religion classes and always sensed that I wasn't getting the whole picture somehow. When I was nearly sixteen, I remember walking home from Mass (I went on my own) and praying, "God, if you are real and there is any such thing as truth, I want to know it.". Within five months I learned the truth of the Gospel from Scripture and received Jesus Christ as my Savior. I determined that from then on I was going to learn everything I could about the Bible and not just rely on what someone else said was the truth anymore. I worked my way through Bible college and graduated with a B.A. degree.
My life is infinitely changed from that time as a child and I have been happily married for over twenty years. I have found peace and joy in knowing Christ and I try to live my life in a way that glorifies God and honors the grace He has given me. I don't know how my life would have ended up had I not heard and obeyed the truth of the gospel. I thank and praise God every day for the blessings He has given me.
Me. Raised to mock religion, basically raised atheist, converted to Christianity at age 21.
And if so, what was the difference in before and after turning to God?
I was really born again. Opinions on all sorts of things, including politics, basically did a 180. Yet basic personality traits remained the same (like extroverted, introspective, likes to read, etc.)
Did you find it had a profound effect on your ability to empathize with others and see things from their perspective? Absolutely.
Did it make you less selfish and less antagonistic - yes
and did it make you more independent, productive and self sufficient? yes and no. I became less of a rugged individualist, and do best when I realize my weaknesses and acknowledge it is ultimately God who is getting me along. I am more productive, though, much so. Much of my non-Christian life was focused on destruction of various sorts.
What were other changes that happened? A tremendous underlying sense of security and purpose. A cohesive and logical world and life view.
Regardless, I was drawn to reading the scriptures and then was sharpened by having to defend those beliefs by an opinionated secular, actually Norman Thomas socialist, father and indifferent mother.
Came to understand Christ through a study of the Old Testament prophets, in the context of history. Reading John's Gospel required a Yes or No answer. The "Good and Wise Teacher" nonsense didn't jibe with the reports about the man's claims about himself as reliably described by the witnesses. Their credibility was enhanced by their having stuck to the story to their deaths at the four corners of the compass, and the obvious changes in their behavior following the resurrection.
So, he was either "The Messiah, the Son of the Living God," or an even greater fraudster the our current president. There's really no honest alternative.
So... yes. There are a lot more of us raised like today's kids than many think. Won't say "and I turned out okay," though. But I did turn out believing in eternal truth, and that Jesus of Nazareth is who he was reliably reported to have said he was.
My home life wasn’t religious at all, though my mother was Catholic and raised as that, she changed to Protestant when she married my dad. I have no recollection of conversations about God or salvation.
We basically went to ‘church’ on special occasions such as Christmas and Easter. Remarkably my older sister was made to take us to ‘Sunday school’ from which we left afterwards. So there really was no church services to speak of..... However I distinctly remember loving to sing ‘Jesus Loves Me’ and learning He liked kids as we were taught about Him, which as a youngster left a big impression, (as my dad died when I was four), which when I became a Christian later on I would see and understand how significant that truly was.....Jesus had His hand on me long before I had my hand in His.....
It was not until I was married with a son and my husband was overseas serving that I began wondering who God was and if He was truly real. I suppose now ‘being alone’ at 18 and with a son might have caused me to reach out to God....but in retrospect He had been reaching for me all along.
That night I asked God to send someone to tell me if He was real or not...the next day Jehovah Witnesses were at the door! It was not long before I realized clearly they did not have the truth I was looking for. Thereafter a few years passed and the Mormons showed up at the door...I studied with them for several months before it was clear their Book wasn’t jiving with the Bible...and the truth was still escaping me.( BTW I insisted on using mine though they made many attempts I use theirs).
Again years past til I was 27 with two sons, a home and husband. I was very unhappy with life as there just seemed to be such a hole in it...though I had everything most would want in life. My neighbor was involved with the Charismatic movement and invited me to a prayer meeting and to speak with their Pastor.....who went through all that is common about coming to Jesus, talking in tongues, miracles etc. Yet empty of what I needed, and just too much ‘inner discomfort’ about the whole encounters among them...which I was told I’d get use to.
By this time my frustration about all churches and faiths was clearly evident...so I sought the scriptures on my own with God alone. Many afternoons reading and reading more...and questioning God as I did so. I believe He knew I meant business with Him and was sincerely wanting to know the Truth. I was already becoming a student of Gods Word without realizing it.
It has been said ..”When the student is ready God provides the teacher”....I had read many verses about being saved....and Who it was that made this possible...I just couldn’t figure out How.
Long story short a retired Pastor from Moody Bible Institute came to work for us at our company.....I asked Him many questions and He answered many using the scripture He knew by heart....and He encouraged me to keep reading.
In time He and his wife invited me to their home where we searched the scriptures together....and the Gospel message was given. I understood...at last! I knew not only knew the Truth...I knew WHO the Truth resided in fully and completely. I was saved that night....and everything thereafter changed ‘in me’....and for that how I saw all of life and relationships.
Me
John 3:13 is the summation of what Christ was stipulating. So every soul/spirit intellect that has passed through this flesh age, or as Peter calls it the world that is NOW in IIPeter 3 passed the first requirement.
However, apparently NOT all that passed that first requirement to ‘see’ or ‘enter’ the kingdom of God will.
Why oh Why are so many so fixated on this flesh body, when it is the soul/spirit intellect that was first created gets placed into the womb of woman to pass through this flesh journey????? It is Written that when the flesh dies it returns to the dust/dirt from which it came and the soul/spirit return to the Maker that sent it. Ecc 12.