First, praise God for giving you the gift of faith in Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice for your sins. I’m so excited I have a new “sister” in the family of God.
I’m sorry the excitement of your new life in Christ has been crowded out by others throwing lots of stuff your way.
My main advice is this: Don’t ever get over Jesus and what He has done for you. Remember you contributed nothing to your salvation:
And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him [Christ], having forgiven us all our trespasses (Col. 2:13).
Dead people can do nothing. God gave you the gift of faith in His Son. Without this gift, you would not have been able to see how beautiful His offer of salvation is:
By grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God (Eph. 2:8).
Guard yourself from believing God will be more pleased with you if you read Scripture, pray, go to church, etc. Some Christians refer to these activities as “means of grace.” That’s because they’re not acts we do for God; they’re ways God graciously makes us more like Jesus.
So pursue these means of grace as gifts, not duties. Here are a couple of means of grace I’d start with:
1. Get involved in a solid church.
You need community; Christianity is not a solo sport. Here are three websites that can help you find solid churches in your area:
2. Study the Word of God daily.
All Scripture points to Christ, so this is where you go to look for and at Him. Ask an older, godly woman who has walked with God a while to teach you how to read and study God’s Word. Here are a few posts I’ve written on the subject that will help:
- God’s Word and My Crooked Legs
- The Read-It-Like-It-Is Quiz
- But Shouldn’t It Be Easy to Read My Bible?
- One Giant Promise Kept
Then take a deep breath. It’s okay there’s so much you don’t know right now. I’ve been raised on the Bible since I was a little girl, and there’s still so much I don’t know. Above all, set out to know Christ.
As you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving (Col. 2:6–7).
One of my favorite quotes of all time is by Robert Murray M’Cheyne: “For every look at self take ten looks at Christ.”
It’s fine to explore some of these other things, but above all, keep the main thing the main thing. Or rather, the main Person the main Person: Christ Jesus, our Savior and Lord. As you do, I can say with Paul:
I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ (Phil. 1:6)
Paula (Hendricks) Marsteller is a compassionate, bold Christian communicator offering you gospel hope, thought-provoking questions, and practical help along the way.
This is great advice to a new believer! It can definitely get overwhelming when you feel like you have to catch up with others who have been Christians forever. It’s best to take it one day at a time, being practical and intentional.
You should check out my website: http://www.christiansbeingchristians.com/
It prompts Christians to fulfill the call that Jesus has placed on our lives in a practical way.
Thanks, Devan, I will!
Thank you for this post! <3
You’re so welcome, Kathy.