A Church Lady Becomes a Christian

A book¹ I once read quoted this verse, “Those who believe in the Son of God have a testimony of God in them.”² Our testimonies or stories are unique. God wants us to be intentional about sharing them. Mine is about how a church lady became a Christian. This may sound a bit backwards. At the same time, you may relate.

When I was young everyday had a task. Monday was washday. Tuesday was ironing day. Wednesday was sewing day. Thursday was shopping day. Friday was cleaning day. Saturday was baking day and Sunday was church day. 

Sundays were the highlight of our week. If it was Sunday, my family was in church. Even after I got married and was working full time Sunday was still church day. Along with going to church I did a lot of church-type activities. I was a Sunday school teacher, a choir member, and a small group leader. I also read my Bible and learned how to share my faith. 

One evening when I was a young mother, I was reading my Bible. It dawned on me that despite all the church things I had done I was not serving God. I might sound all right to you. I might even look good to others. But it is what God thinks that matters.  

The Bible told me: “[You are] infected and impure with sin when [you] display [your] righteous deeds; they are nothing but filthy rags.”³ 

For the first time I began to think of sin in a personal way. I had done many “righteous deeds” but the bad things such as impatience, anger, lying and self-centeredness polluted the good I was doing. I fell asleep that night with tears in my eyes. 

The next morning, I had a conversation with God that changed my life forever. I thought about Jesus washing the disciples’ feet and how Peter resisted, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and head!”† I thought the same as Peter. God, I thought, wash all of me. I am that dirty. From that moment God saw me through the righteousness of Jesus; I was cleansed from all my sin. I felt deeply loved by God. I was brand new inside. I had been born again. 

Later, I realized that I had been a church member for 15 years. What would my friends think? When I told my husband, he tried to talk me out of it. He had become a Christian through me! But truly I was different. Something had happened. My heart was full of joy. 

This is not the end of the story. It is just the beginning. Throughout my life I have been up. I have been down. I have laughed. I have cried. I have been poor. I have been rich. I have been well. I have been sick. I have served God and yes, I have served myself. But through it all I have learned I can depend on God and His word. He is faithful and forgiving. His Word is trustworthy and true. God is always constant no matter what life holds. 

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¹ The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren
² 1 John 5:10 (GW)
³ Isaiah 64:6 (NLT)
† John 13:9 (ESV)

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Lena Rae
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