Dear (New) Christ Follower,
Let me first start by saying that you're doing a great job. If you're reading this, then you've made a choice. You have decided to put on the new self and make a change for the better.
“..when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”
You’ve decided to put on the new self and make a change for the better.
“I have decided.”
Go you! Making the decision to follow Christ can look pretty glamorous from the outside. While I know it's exciting, I want you to know that the path you've chosen isn't the easy one. Yes, the reward of throwing out your old self and becoming new is better than I could every even being to explain... But, I"m here to tell you that your journey is going to be hard.
You will be criticized.
People will question if your transformation is genuine. People will mock the scripture you use on your Instagram captions. People will question why you gave up the lifestyle you had and chose the path that you did.
But, do not let what other people say get you down. Don't you dare do it.
“If God is for us, who can be against us?”
This is your special journey and it's unique to only you. It is not for everyone else to understand. Keep going.
Trust in God and seek His voice in everything you do. I promise, it's going to be worth it. Making decisions that honor and glorify God will lead you down a path that you'll never regret having been down.
You will make mistakes.
You will slip up. You will fall short. When you do, it's important to remember that you are not perfect. No one is perfect. There will be days that the enemy will do everything in his power to attack you. There will be days that you will feel like you've dug yourself into a hole too deep to get out of. There will be days that the world will get the best of you. Just remember: “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning.”
When you made this choice, you also rose to accept God's grace. You can never out sin God's grace. Ever. Grace upon grace upon grace.
Even after that, which is tough..
You will feel like you’re missing out.
There will be nights and weekends that your friends are doing things that you know you shouldn't. Even though you know you shouldn't, you won't be able to help but feel like you're missing out. You'll stalk there fun on Snapchat and Instagram. You'll feel like a loser and cry yourself to sleep some nights. I want you to listen and know that you're missing out on nothing.
As you know, change is hard. Your friends might not totally understand why you're changing, but this is the exciting part.
Show them. It's your job to show them. Don't abandon your friends just because your lifestyle is different. Remember, Jesus was a friend of sinners. You should be too. Be a light. Pour into them. Love them.
You will be OK.
I mean it. You're doing a great job. The journey will be long and it'll never really be over. Your battles will start again every single day. Every morning, you'll have to make a choice. You can choose to go back to your old, worldly ways, or you can choose to accept God's grace and move forward as a new person, an entirely new you.
You've probably heard this a million times, but the road is not going to be easy. There will be times that you will question your decision. There will be long nights, lots of tears, and days when you're not sure if you'll ever make it through. No matter how scary the road ahead may be, I promise the destination will be worth it. God loves you endlessly, no matter what. There's nothing you can do to change that. He is holding you in the palm of His hand and He's not going anywhere. You are growing and changing into an amazing person with the most beautiful heart.
“It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.”
Throw your old self out and choose the new one day after day.
If you can do that, then I can promise you this..
You’re going to be OK.
You are OK. You are chosen. You are free. You are forgiven. You are loved. You are enough. You're doing a great job.
Love,
Me