Hi, I’m Abby, and I’m so excited to share my testimony today.
As many of you know, I’ve grown up in the church, but it hasn’t been until recently that I truly started growing in my relationship with Jesus. I’ve always thought that being a Christian was just about doing the right things, whether it was going to church, praying, or serving. But recently, God has been showing me that being a disciple of Jesus is more than just what I do for him.
Since I was young, I’ve always been surrounded by people who supported me and encouraged me in my faith. I was always involved in many church events and eventually started volunteering in every way I could. I thought that this would give me an added bonus, it would show others that I was faithful and I believed in God.
Looking back, I can’t believe how wrong I was. For a while, I struggled with my identity. I felt like I was constantly living to please others. I wanted my outward personality to show confidence and I strived to live up to others expectations. I now realize that my identity was found in what others thought about me. As a result, I often felt discouraged and hopeless about life. This pattern continued for years and I kept hoping that I would eventually feel good enough. However, recently, God has been working in a couple significant ways to remind me of where my value really comes from.
In January, I made a New Year’s resolution to get to know Jesus better. I wanted to understand my purpose and identity, so I began reading The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren. As I read and journaled my thoughts, I began to understand God’s purpose for my life. I realized that life isn’t about me, but the greatest thing I can do is to live for God’s glory.
One quote that stuck out to me is this: “You cannot fulfill God’s purposes for your life while focusing on your own plans.” At the time, I thought I could have a relationship with God on my own terms. For me, this meant going to church, serving, and praying only when I felt like it. But, this quote challenged what I thought it meant to have a relationship with Jesus. I realized that being a follower of Jesus is about meeting Him on His terms. I began to see the importance of serving out of my love for Jesus instead of serving to receive love from Jesus.
Another impactful experience was this past March, when I went with the team to Nicaragua. We served alongside our partners at Verbo church and learned so much from the people there. I was so inspired to see the faith so many people have, even amidst the struggles they face.
In Canada, I find that it’s easy to feel like we don’t need God because most of our needs are met. Most of us don’t have to worry about where our next meal will come from. Because we have so much in our lives, it’s easy for us to put our trust in what we have instead of in God. However, it was so encouraging to witness Jesus’ love through many leaders and people in Nicaragua. It was powerful to see them serving with so much love and generosity. Seeing how they lived out their faith challenged me to depend more on God and trust Him completely.
These experiences have shown me how much God has been working in my life. Though I am undeserving, I’m so grateful for Jesus’ death on the cross for me. I’m grateful knowing that He wants a relationship with me and accepts me for who I am. I am committed to living my baptism daily and joining the church to fulfill His mission.
To end off, I would like to thank some of the people that have supported me on my faith journey. Thank you to my loving parents; to my dad who has taught me what it means to be valued by God and how to humbly lead others. Thank you to my mom for being an important role model, teaching me that loving others involves sacrifice. Thank you to my sister Hannah for teaching me to be real and making me laugh like no one else can. I also appreciate all the prayers from my grandparents, and how they’ll always jump to ask about my day. Thank you to family, friends, aunts and uncles for their continuous support and I know I can always count on them. Thank you Pastor Kevin, Adriana, and my small group for giving me a space to grow in my faith. Finally, thank you to friends that have journeyed with me, especially Claire, who I’m so excited to get baptized with today. I am so grateful for the love and guidance of countless people in this church community.
Ephesians 2:10 says “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”
I want to show my commitment to follow Jesus in front of you all as I get baptized today. I am so grateful for the love and forgiveness God has shown me, and I hope to live my life in service to Him.
