Yesterday I heard a former Muslim describe her spiritual journey. For years she fulfilled the obligatory religious activities, but she experienced neither joy in doing them nor assurance of eternal life. She saw inconsistencies between the teachings of the Koran and the lifestyles of those who professed to follow it, so she asked questions but found no answers.
Everything changed when a group of converted Muslims entered her life. Their prayer and fasting on her behalf, and their words and deeds helped her understand God’s love for her. Before long she realized that, through Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection, He made a way for her to have a relationship with God.
Converting from Islam to Christianity has cost this woman dearly—to the point of living under a constant death threat. And yet, when asked if her faith in Christ is worth that cost, she said without hesitation, “Absolutely. I once walked in darkness but now I walk in the light. I’ve seen the power of God work on my behalf, and I know He’s real.” The reality of Jesus and His infinite love and power makes this woman willing to die rather than deny Him.
Her testimony brought several questions to mind: Do I fully grasp and appreciate what Christ’s death and resurrection accomplished for me? Do I live daily by the power of God that’s at work in me thanks to Christ’s sacrifice? And am I willing to die for my faith in Jesus if persecution were to come my way?
I continue to ponder these questions this morning, and they challenge me to never take my spiritual heritage or opportunities forgranted. They also motivate me to study the person of Jesus more thoroughly and to realize afresh what it means to be His follower. It’s far more than reciting a prayer to ask His forgiveness for sin; it’s a commitment to live life as He taught and exemplified regardless of the cost.
How about you? What does Jesus mean to you, and how has He impacted your life?
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