The Missing Piece

As a young girl growing up in church, I sang the hymns, memorized and recited the catechism, and attended the retreats. I listened to the preacher on Sunday mornings and I may have even taken notes during the sermon. We attended every Sunday morning, Sunday evening and Wednesday evening, almost without fail. I even committed my life to Christ at seven or eight years of age. I grew up in a solid Christian environment, but there was still something missing in my life that it took me years to discover.

I recently heard a pastor say that proximity doesn’t equal intimacy and that was exactly the case in my life. I can spend my whole life in the church, my parents can be solid in their faith, I can go on the youth retreats, and give all the “right” answers to questions but still not have had a personal experience with Christ; the kind of experience that is real and will stand through the trials of life.

It is important to place ourselves where we will hear the word of God taught on a regular basis, to be among a community of believers, to go on retreats and mission trips. These things are very important for a Christian. But for our faith to grow and become a rock upon which we can stand firm against trials and temptations, we must come to experience Christ himself, not solely through the spoken word of others. Isaiah 7:9b says, “You must stand firm in your faith or you will not stand at all.” If I am depending on the faith of others, then my faith is on shaky ground.

Today I am writing on Unafide65 (my church’s student ministry blog). Click here to read the rest.

* image courtesy of Andronicus Riyono via sxc.hu