A transformative decision

Last night we had the fifth session of the Life in the Spirit seminar.  I know that I have mentioned the seminar series before, but before I explain about the fifth session, I would like to give you a quick summary of the series.

It is set up in such a way that each week builds on the previous weeks, talking about and expounding on different truths of Christianity. The series begins by telling participants about God’s love for them.  Then, in the weeks that follow, we talk about the ultimate sacrifice Christ makes for us, the gift of salvation, the new life that He offers us through His Holy Spirit, and what it means to receive these gifts.  The fifth week of the series is really the action week.  It is the evening where participants have the opportunity to choose for Christ after all that we have been discussing over the last few weeks.

Last night was the fifth session of the Life in the Spirit seminar series.  Though it is not the end of the series, it is maybe the most exciting evening because you get to see the Lord at work in a real and physical and tangible way.  For the last month, we have been meeting with these people regularly, sharing with them truths that have changed each of our lives, and aside from our own conclusions, we often don’t have any idea how the Lord is using us to reach these people.  However, on this fifth evening, we invite the participants to ask Jesus into their own lives and allow us to pray with them.  This is the time that we get to step aside and see the Lord working in these people’s hearts.

Though each of the participant’s stories is an incredible and beautiful witness, I was really moved by the experience of one of the girls in my small group.  Her faith background was vague and unclear; her family hadn’t been practicing Christians, but she had attended a Christian school for a while and had some faith connections.  Ultimately, though, she was full of questions and uncertainties that were hindering her hope in something better.  When we announced the opportunity to give your life over to Christ and receive prayer, I could see her mind working and her weighing this opportunity against all of her fears and doubts.  As I was watching her, I saw on her face the rapid activity in her mind stop, her hesitate for a second, and then she looked up and asked if she could go first in our group. 

Honestly, I can say that I had no part in her ultimate decision.  In the end it came down to her deciding where she wanted to put her hope and trust.  Yet, to be there and to have the opportunity to pray with her was really a witness to me and a confirmation of my own faith. 

After we had prayed together, we were talking about what it means to live a Christian life and one of the things that became really evident was the realization that choosing faith is not a one time decision but a constant, daily choice to fight the battle and live for Christ.  It is a choice that I don’t always have the courage to make, but one that has a profound impact on not only my own life, but also on the world around me.