Baptisms. I love ’em.
For the sake of the argument I am referring to believer’s baptism rather than infant baptism. True story: I have not seen an infant baptism in real life.
Anyway, I love baptisms. It’s brilliant seeing people make a public declaration of allegiance with Jesus Christ. On a number of occasions those about to be baptised have gone through weeks of baptismal classes. I’m sure these addressed points that those about to be dunked needed to be aware of. Yet for all that, as much as you hear people talk about life in Christ, it still requires you to experience that life for yourself.
That being said, there are things I’ve come across in my own journey with Christ that I would encourage new believers to be aware of when they have taken the plunge.
- Feeling happy is optional; Having joy is the reality
- It’s not always about being zealous, but it is about developing a hunger
- You are a minister
- You will need people, even when some of them prove untrustworthy
- Make it your point of duty to be curious
- Yes you will face opposition from without and within; you will also experience amazing grace
- It’s worth remembering your story not just for the benefit of others, but for your own encouragement
- Your first commitment is to follow Jesus and Jesus only
- Don’t be afraid when you have been afraid; don’t worry about worrying and don’t get too caught up when you mess up
- There is no problem in having questions. Be prepared to live with God’s answers (including non-answers)
There is plenty more that I would suggest and even with these suggestions we could go into a greater level of detail. Yet these have been nuggets that in a lot of cases would have helped me to get over some gripes with this walking with Jesus business and also reassure me.
Baptisms are wonderful occasions, but like a wedding it only signifies the start of something very precious. Something we can always grow in as we get closer to God
(Photo by kaleb tapp on Unsplash )
For His Name’s Sake
Shalom
C. L. J. Dryden
Life With CD 