Baptism, Obedience and a Love for God

A few weeks ago, after 5 years of God gently nudging me, I chose to be adult baptized.  I wanted to share the testimony I read that day.  It was a difficult task for me to write this.  In fact, if I am to be completely honest, I dug my heels in all the way.  It wasn't until I came to the closing lines of my testimony that I was actually excited about my baptism.  The process helped me see why I was taking this step and changed my perspective on the whole event.  I could have easily talked about the many things God has done for me and the details of how my relationship has deepened with Him over the years.  However, I felt that this testimony was meant to be about my obedience, the reason I was taking this step, not how I got here. Writing this testimony was a blessing to me.  I pray that it will be a blessing to others as well.

I was raised in Christian home, and I always considered myself a Christian.  However, looking at my faith now, I think differently.  I spent the first 20 years of my life riding along on my parent’s faith and beliefs.  And, while I understood there was a God, I certainly wasn’t living for Him.  A year or two after I was married, my husband and I agreed that we should attempt to find ourselves a home church. The idea may have spurred from a sense of tradition or the desire to have a Christian home for our own children one day, but at the root of it all, I believe it was God seeking us. 

Once we had made this decision, it was amazing that no matter where I was, physically or spiritually, God always seemed to put someone in my path to draw me closer to Him.  He always found some way to touch my heart and keep me searching for His – even if I didn’t realize it was Him.

It amazes me how, over the years, I have come to learn new truths.  There have also been lies revealed to me which I once believed.  It delights me how God took the foundation which my parents laid for me and built upon it; and it brings me joy that God has used me to support my parents on their journey of faith.  It makes me hopeful that my own kids will start out with an even better foundation than I did and have an even deeper love for our Father.

God calls each of us personally.  One day we have to stand up and choose what we believe and who we follow.  I couldn’t ride the coat tails of my parent’s ideas.  I had to seek Truth for myself.  

Though, I have always called myself a Christian, now I prefer the title of disciple.  Instead of just having faith that there is a God, I now have a relationship with him.  It is amazing how different this is from just believing the Bible is true.

I grew up in the United Church, and as is their tradition, was baptized as an infant.  I participated in a confirmation ceremony at 12 years old.  Even though I always considered my being confirmed as a declaration of my faith, for the past four or five years I have felt God nudging me to get baptized.   I figured I was covered and to be honest didn’t really want to take this step.  I didn’t feel it affected my relationship with God at all.  Since I chose to listen to the voice that gently persisted, I see things in a different light.

I am being baptized today, first and foremost, out of obedience to God.  He has called me to take this step.  God has been patient with me, while I spent so much time rationalizing away the idea.  Today, I am pushing past all the self-placed roadblocks, all the excuses, and I am being obedient to what God is asking me to do.  After all, if I love God as I say I do, and He has asked something of me, should I not be obedient to Him?  Not only that, but should I not do so joyfully?  It is not a chore, but a privilege to be able to stand up and say that God is my creator, my leader, my father, my friend.

I am also being baptized because I do not believe I was a true follower of Christ when I was confirmed. I want to stand up and proclaim that I am a child of God; that I desire to live for Him.  I don’t want to waste this life He has given me.  I want to make each day count, even if in some small way.

What it all comes down to is that I love God.  I want to continue to follow Him, to grow closer to Him.  I don’t have any expectations of how being baptized will affect my life or how it will change me.  The only thing I do long for is that my relationship with my heavenly Father will continue to deepen, that I will love Him more each and every day, and that my small role on this earth will bring Him glory and honour.