Sister Wang has been a Christian for many years, putting a lot of time and effort into church activities. She thought she had learned a lot about her faith, but instead of feeling fulfilled, she was met with complaints from her husband and daughter. They said things like, "Why don't you just move to the church?" which made her feel sad and misunderstood.
Reflecting on her faith journey, she admitted feeling pretty frustrated. She wondered, "Is my faith really separate from my everyday life? Why can't they be one and the same?" She realized that, while she believed, it didn't always connect to her daily experiences. It felt more like "knowledge-based faith." Even after listening to numerous sermons, she still felt like she wasn't getting it.
It wasn't until a sermon titled "Removing Obstacles in Life" that things clicked for her. She said, "I had this lightbulb moment where I recognized my struggle. I believed in Jesus and knew about Him, but I hadn't really met Him." She noted that such realizations only come through the word of God and the guidance of the Holy Spirit; otherwise, change is tough to come by.
Wang started to pay more attention to the Holy Spirit at work in her everyday thoughts. For instance, when there's a bowl of fruit on the table, she used to think about keeping the best for herself. Now, whenever that thought pops up, she senses a nudge from the Holy Spirit and instead thinks about sharing the good stuff with others, trusting that she'd get what God has for her.
Sister Wang mentioned, "In the past, I could size up a person's character just by looking at them while doing business. But now, God shows me what's really going on inside someone. When I feel that nudge from the Holy Spirit, it helps me turn my thoughts around. We can't change everything just by trying hard; we need to let the Lord reshape our intentions."
She reflected on her enthusiasm for the church, participating in a ton of services and offerings for over ten years, but she started questioning who she was really offering herself to. "I used to think believing was straightforward and easy. But now I see that every single step, every action, and every breakthrough takes real effort. I have to confront my sins through the word, deny my own desires, and go through a process of being broken and renewed."
"We need to look to Jesus if we want to change, but that's easier said than done. The good news is that the Holy Spirit is there to help us. Before, we would just encourage each other with 'You can do it' or 'Try harder,' pushing people to depend on their own strength. But real growth happens when we learn to 'obey the Holy Spirit.'"
Originally published by the Christian Times
- Edited by Karen Luo and translated by CJ Wang
