One Year with Christ: Lessons Learned and What Has Changed

This morning, I heard birds chirping for the first time since moving into my apartment in September. You know what that means - Spring is right around the corner, so summer will soon follow! This July will mark two years since I became a Christian. As a "newbie" to faith, I've been keeping track of Jesus' transforming work in my life and was just reminded of a "first year recap" I wrote last summer. Whether you're a new Christian like me or have been walking with Christ for years, see if you can identify with the lessons I've learned. How has the Lord changed you?

Top 3 Lessons Learned

1. Following Christ doesn't mean life gets easier

I started reading the Bible "backwards," meaning New Testament first. I was really excited to learn about who Jesus is and what he did during his time here on Earth. In the four Gospels, I read about Jesus' miracles and healings and thought, "Alright! Sign me up. I could use a miracle in my life!"

Pretty quickly, I learned there’s a lot more to it! In Matthew 16:24, Jesus says to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”

Deny myself? That doesn't sound fun, and for me, it means to put aside my selfish wants and desires, most of which would be considered "worldly" – like money and clothes – things that the world tells us we should want because they're supposed keys to fulfillment. Spoiler alert: They're not! In reality, placing my heart on Christ instead of trying to please myself with nonsense is the true key to fulfillment. He is my joy, not the world and not myself.

Taking up my cross is Jesus' way of flat-out saying, "This ain’t gonna be easy." It's also a reminder of the cross of Christ, his crucifixion, and how any suffering I endure as a result of following him will be nowhere near as agonizing as what he experienced to save me.

While following Jesus is a tough road that I inevitably wander off of, I'm thankful that he always welcomes me back.


2. I don't have to live in shame or fear

Over the past year, I've learned that I live in shame and fear a lot. Shame from bad decisions I've made, like hurting people, and fear of the future – Will I get that new job? Can I afford that apartment? What if all my plans don't work out?

In the past, those feelings would really eat away at me. I'd go through days, sometimes weeks, of self-loathing, depression and anxiety. I didn't know that there was a God who would take all of that away from me.

In my small group, we started reading 1 John, and 1 John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Now, because I'm walking with Christ, I know that when I start to feel guilty about something, I can and should immediately bring it to him rather than let shame eat away at me. There is power in repentance. When I release a sin to Jesus in prayer, it's like a weight has been lifted off me. I can't describe the incredible feeling of freedom, but I can recommend that you seek it from him!

As far as fear, I really love Psalm 56:3-4, which says, "When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?"

When I start to feel shame or get scared of something, God invites me to come to him. Trusting him means knowing that fear has no hold on me. Like the Psalmist said, "What can flesh do to me?" What can I be afraid of when I have the Lord on my side? Nothing! There is also power in peace, which I always find when I release my fears to God.


3. Christianity isn't just about what you do; it’s about why you do it

What I mean by this lesson is that life with Christ isn't just about the good work or deeds you do; it's about being guided by your faith in him.

James 2:14:18 says, "What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, 'Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, 'You have faith; I have deeds.' Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds."

When you're Christian, there's a relationship between deeds and faith. Before knowing Christ, I certainly did some good deeds, but I usually did them for the wrong reason – to inflate myself, to make myself look good. But doing good works with faith gives God the glory he deserves. Taking the spotlight off me and shining it on him not only opens people's hearts to the grace of God, it helps cultivate the relationship I have with him. 


What Has Changed

1. How I think

Before learning about Jesus, I used to think that some sins, like cursing and gossiping, were totally ok to do. In most cases, everyone else around me was doing them. But let me be clear – I am not placing blame on my friends or anyone else for decisions I’ve made. Because I deemed those things acceptable, my actions followed.

If I got in an argument with someone, I would use derogatory names and curse words to put them down. 1 Peter 3:10-12 says, "Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech."

I didn't keep my tongue from evil because I just didn't care. I didn't see cursing at someone as a bad thing because it made me feel like a stronger person in that moment. Now, I try to keep my lips at bay and think before I speak. I have no right to tear anyone down and inflate myself.

Which brings me to gossip. Ladies, you know how women can be. And gentlemen, this doesn't mean you're off the hook either! When people around you start gossiping about someone, it's really easy to jump in, right? When I used to gossip (and I still struggle with this!), I would feel a false sense of joy from talking bad about someone. It made me feel better about myself, and it made me feel like I was more of a friend to the person or people also gossiping.

James 4:11 says, "Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it."

This verse is saying that if we speak ill of someone, we're also speaking ill of God and disobeying his command to love. Being a Christian, I want to show obedience to God in every way, including trying to not gossip, because I love and respect him and thus should love and respect everyone he's created.

Now that I've been a Christian for a year, I recognize sin as sin – thoughts and actions that separate me from God – and I make conscious efforts to stop myself from engaging in them.


2. How I feel

I used to feel like life was all about me. Now, I feel God working in me daily to pull me out of my selfish desires. That's not to say I never give into selfishness, because I still do! But I know and feel that my life is to be lived for him, not for me.

I also feel pain from following Christ (which he tells us to expect) because I care about people more than I ever have. And when you're vulnerable with your heart, you can get hurt. I need to remember to put my faith in God and not in people, because we will inevitably let each other down, intentionally or unintentionally. But I know that Jesus will never let me down.


3. How I act

I would have never chosen to use 3-4 days a week to serve and spend time with others before knowing Christ's love. My time was MY time, and I spent it doing what I wanted to do. Now, what I want to do is serve, because I see the blessings that come from it.

In conclusion, following Christ over the past year has profoundly changed who I am and how I relate to other people. It's important to note that as much as I try to run from sin, I am still a sinner. But before knowing God's love, I was just that. Now, I'm a sinner redeemed. I am blessed, loved, chosen, forgiven and free. I can't tell you how incredible that feels, but I can encourage you to discover it for yourself in Jesus!

Written by Elyse Jankowski
Community Relations Associate

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Be Faithful, Not Fearful

"Ultimately, we know deeply that the other side of every fear is freedom." -Mary Ferguson

What happens when you are faithful and not fearful? That's a good question, but honestly, I'm not 100% sure. I do know God is always with us, but I'd be lying if I said fear is not something I deal with.

Right now, I am about to finish school, and I just do not know what the next step is. On an even scarier note, I know what I'd like to do, but I can't properly articulate it because I'm not sure that type of job exists! So, there is a strong sense of fear. What am I going to do with my life? Where will I be doing it? How will I get there? When will it happen? Am I going to be a failure? These are the questions and fears that constantly go through my head. Part of me thinks if I think about this long and hard enough, magically something will happen and all this fixating will have paid off; but in all honesty, I know that is not even close to the truth.

The story of David and Goliath has to be one of my favorites because it is a story about faith. David is someone I want to be like, not only coming from a faith aspect, but David's perspective is something I strive for. Personally, I cannot imagine volunteering to go and fight this nine-foot man. Literally, Goliath was an all-fearing man…except to David.

David had a completely different perspective than the rest of the Israelites. In fact, the Bible says David ran to go and fight Goliath. He didn’t take his time; he volunteered to go fight him and then ran there. Wow! David literally ran toward everyone else's fear. But that is because David's perspective was different from everyone else's. In David’s eyes, God was the giant not Goliath. Goliath was simply an earthly man challenging the all- mighty God.

Can I ask you a question? When was the last time you ran toward a giant you were facing? For some of us, I know that may be difficult to recall, but that could be due to our perspective. David focused on God not Goliath. We tend to focus on "our giants" and stumble rather than focusing on God and allowing him to make "our giants" collapse. Max Lucado puts that a lot more plainly: "Focus on giants – you stumble; Focus on God – your giants tumble." That is exactly the perspective David had.

Part of me wonders, "When was Goliath actually defeated?" Was it the moment David picked up the sling shot or the moment he cut his head off, or was it the moment when David said he would go and fight him? In my opinion, Goliath was already defeated when David said: "(I) will go." Right there, it makes me see faith is not speaking or worrying about the "giants" - Faith is taking the very first step.

David was fighting a battle that was already won, because it was the Lord's. The same is true for us, and that is something we must always remember. So, today I am choosing faith over fear; what will you choose?

Written by Stephany Suarez
Senior Soldier
The Salvation Army Kearny Corps

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A Volunteer Army

Malachi 3:18 And you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.

The Salvation Army, founded in 1865, maintains a strong presence in New Jersey as we constantly strive to meet the wide and varied needs of our residents.  Every year, hundreds of volunteers who are dedicated to make a difference in their local communities partner with The Salvation Army New Jersey Division at our 28 Corps Community Centers, 137 Service Units, residential and day camps, Emergency Disaster Services Program etc.  Our volunteers are often fondly referred to as "the army behind The Army," recognizing the crucial role that our volunteers play in The Salvation Army’s ability to provide quality social services changing lives in every community throughout the State.

Ranging from volunteering at our food pantries or soup kitchens; administrative help; tutoring; mentoring; disaster response; bell-ringing, distributing toys, organizing food drives The Salvation Army has a wide range of volunteer opportunities to suit everyone’s age, interest, availability and skill.

I am thankful for the generosity and dedication of so many New Jersey residents as well as volunteers from throughout the US, who have recognized the great work that we do and have rallied behind us to partner for our Sandy relief efforts.  Over 100 days have passed and the need still exists! The Salvation Army is often the first to arrive and the last agency to leave, ensuring we have done all we can to meet survivors' needs.  Extra volunteers are needed almost daily to help with our Sandy relief effort.

Extra volunteers are also needed for our year-round and seasonal programs.  Those interested should visit www.salvationarmynj.org/volunteer to view our current volunteer opportunities and complete our online application form or email NJVolunteers@use.salvationarmy.org

Written by Judith Anderson
Volunteer Resources Manager

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The Only Way

In 1890, General William Booth released his best-selling book In Darkest England and the Way Out. This book set forth his, and subsequently, The Salvation Army's mission for turning the tide in the war against poverty and a secular society's grip on the people of England. One hundred and twenty-three years later, what is our mission? What is the solution to In Darkest New Jersey, or In Darkest America and the Way Out? The only answer is the same ultimate answer General Booth knew all those years ago: Jesus.


In John 12:46 Jesus says, "I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark (NLT)."

It's so clear, yet as a people, we move further away from this very plainly-stated fact. As we move away from a Christ-centered state, country and world, we move further into darkness. Should it really be surprising to us that as we take away the 10 Commandments from our state houses, prayer from our schools, and Bibles from government-run facilities that our financial and social systems are failing? The more we remove God, the further into darkness we descend.

But hope is not lost! Yet there is only one solution to our struggles as a society. That answer came and died for all who would reach out and be washed in the blood of the Lamb. We know this by the words of John 3:17, "For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved (KJV)." 

As people cry out for someone to save us, we need to be bold and cry back that our Savior has come! We need to cling to Christ, not a political ideology. No political party or agenda has the answer to moving into the light, certainly not through taxes or public policy. No political figure or personality has all the answers or solutions. There is only one way for us to be in the light. Jesus is the only way.

Written by Bramwell Applin
Community Relations Manager

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