Before Jesus Changed My Life

When I moved from Florida to Iowa, the change was a cultural shock, and I went through a lot of depression and dissociation. I acted out of anger and spite most of the time and blamed everyone else for how I felt instead of looking at myself. The way I tried to handle it on my own was by seeking validation from people and changing parts of who I was just to feel accepted. I used that to distract myself from what I was really dealing with inside, which is sin, including anger and pride that separates me from God. 

How Jesus Changed My Life

I had knowledge about the Bible because my mom came to believe in God when I was in middle school but it was confusing for me because my mom believed in lots of different religions, and knowing what was true was hard. I tried to honor them all because I looked up to my mom but I was led astray. Coming to college and coming to live on my own I prayed for community and friends, and knew that I wanted to seek a relationship with God. I went to a welcome week event at Kirkwood and found out about Salt Company.  There was a Salt Co sermon in September about the parable of the sower in Matthew 13, where the four heart postures “soils” were explained. I realized I had a “strangled heart” which means, I had this knowledge of Jesus but was rejecting Him over time, not having a lasting faith. I was living stuck in my sin, and realized Jesus could set me free. That night I prayed to have the plowed heart, or the good soil,  and prayed that Jesus would come into my heart and help me to seek the truth in Him. I realized that through Jesus and him alone I could be saved from my sin, and not be condemned to death because of my sin. I realized that knowledge of and believing in God the Father was not actually true salvation, and that Jesus is the bridge, the Savior. 

My Life After Jesus Saved Me

Praise God for working in his mysterious ways and providing me with Veritas and such an amazing wonderful community to be held accountable and transform my way of living and thinking. Having peers in my connection group to be held accountable and point me to scripture have had a huge impact on my faith and have led me to want to be baptized. 

My life is now different because I think about Christ in everything I do. When I am worried, scared, sad, or anxious I always turn to prayer and to God, and I give thanks always for all the blessings and ways he’s set me free. By the power of Christ in me, I have made the changes in my life, to fight sin and lies that I never thought would be possible. Hebrews 12 is a huge part of my life right now that God is using to sanctify me. Hebrews 12:2 & Hebrews 12:28-29 are scriptures that reflect knowing that I have eternal life through Christ Jesus. Verse 2 tells us to fix our eyes on Jesus, and that by doing so he initiates and perfects our faith, so I can know that when He disciplines me, He loves me. I thought I had to perfect myself before being in a relationship with God, but He died for me while I was still a sinner! Verse 28-29 tells me that because of this salvation, I am thankful in everything I do, and worship Him rightfully in reverence and awe!