Why I Choose To Follow Jesus
Guest Contributor: Sarah Davis
I’m the girl who grew up in church and I still choose to follow Jesus. I grew up on Sunday school songs, Veggie Tales, Wednesday night youth group, and church summer camps. I’m also familiar with the people in church who hurt me or those times I felt judged on a Sunday morning, but I still choose Jesus to this day. I’d love to share just a little of my testimony with you today and explain why I’ve decided to follow Jesus.
My story starts long before I was born when my dad felt God telling him to become a pastor. This is really where my journey with God starts. All throughout my childhood, I was a pastor’s kid and I didn’t know anything different. Every week, I was at church for more than just the Sunday service and I loved it. Eventually, my dad wanted to further his education and we all picked up and moved to Missouri. Some of my best memories come from being in Missouri. I was comfortable and felt welcomed as a young Christian girl. Many of my friends were Christian and I couldn’t be happier. After many years of bliss, my parents decided to move so my dad could become a pastor again. In all honesty, this was the hardest place I moved to. My family and I moved to Wyoming. Yes, you heard it right. We left Missouri for little old Wyoming where the winters are long and the people are few. I couldn’t believe it when I heard the news. Sure, I was happy for my dad, but I was so familiar with Missouri and loved the friends I had. My relationship with God was easy and comfortable. I loved Him and knew He was there for me. However, a lot of things changed when we moved to Wyoming.
The biggest thing that shifted was my relationship with God. It became forced and filled with bitterness. I decided to be mad at Him for making me leave a place I loved for a new home that was so foreign to me. All throughout middle and high school, I felt really alone. So many people saw me as the good girl who was a pastor’s kid. That’s all I was known for. However, in my heart I didn’t even feel close to God. I read my Bible, went to church, and prayed, but at the end of the day I felt like I didn’t even know the God I grew up with. In my new home, many people had different beliefs than me and I no longer felt comfortable to call myself a follower of Jesus. I tried fitting in with the cheer team I was a part of, but that didn’t work out. I constantly tried to find people who would welcome me and I found a few, but I never felt truly known by them. Throughout my teenage years, I just kind of floundered and went through so much rejection. I forgot that God was there for me. I forgot who He called me to be and how much He loved me during those years. I knew something had to change, so last minute I decided to sign up for something called YWAM and give six months to God after graduating high school. I didn’t expect it to change my life.
Upon arriving at YWAM, I immediately felt different. I felt known for the first time and I knew I was welcomed beyond anything I’d ever known. God met me during my time with YWAM (a Christian missions organization). I was able to go to Los Angeles for three months and then go on to overseas missions work for two months. It completely transformed me and healed my heart. During my time with YWAM, I learned who God was. He wasn’t at all like I thought. I pictured this man in the sky who was distant or far off. He is nothing like this. My God is near to the brokenhearted, quick to run to us in our mess, and cares so much for us. He loves to speak with me and hear about how I am doing. Trust me when I say He even cares about our favorite coffee drink! He wants to know every part of me and you, no matter how ugly it may seem. When I went overseas, God grew my heart for His people. He showed me what it truly means to have nothing, yet still be filled with so much joy and love for the Creator.
Today I can say that I choose Jesus above anything. If you asked me to choose Jesus over everything a few years ago, I can’t tell you I’d have the same answer. I’ve learned that when we meet Jesus and come to know who He really is, we don’t want anything else because it isn’t enough. Christ is more than enough for us. I hope this post encourages you to come closer to God. Don’t believe the lie that God has abandoned you. He promises to never leave us. He is near to you and wants to be your Father. Let Him show you who He is. I guarantee it will change your life for days to come.
About Sarah Davis: Sarah is a passionate 19 year old girl who loves all things Jesus, coffee, personality tests, and meeting new people. She’s from a small town in Wyoming, but has a huge heart for Los Angeles. Currently, her plan is to staff with Youth With a Mission in Los Angeles, California. Her heart goes out to those in need of justice and hopes to bring restoration to those caught in darkness. She runs her own blog styledsisterhood.com where she encourages and uplifts young women on their journey with Christ.