The Power of Faith I come from an influential family in central India and grew up worshiping stone gods. My parents wanted the best education for me, so they enrolled me in a Seventh-day Adventist secondary school. We didn’t know what “Adventist” meant then. I liked the school and made friends quickly. One friend, Amith, invited me to his home on Saturday. I was surprised that he and his family weren’t watching television but instead were talking about something called the “Sabbath.” When I asked Amith what the Sabbath was, he invited me to church the next Saturday. I was curious, so I went. Inside the church I recognized some people I knew from school. To my surprise, the sermon was on the Sabbath. The pastor read Bible texts and explained why the Sabbath was so special. I didn’t know Christ, but by the time we left church I understood the Sabbath. I attended church with Amith every week. I loved the worship service, and the hymns brought me peace. The Bible lessons were simple but profound. Christianity was so different from my family’s religion. I often joined a classmate for her family’s worship. They explained difficult Bible texts, and I began reading the Bible for myself. The Creation story was so different from what I had been taught. I knew I had to follow God, not my family’s gods. I told my parents that I had decided to follow Jesus and would no longer worship the gods I had once worshiped. But they didn’t give up. One day they asked me to go with them on a religious pilgrimage—to carry their luggage, they said. But when I realized that they wanted me to take part in the temple rituals, I knew I couldn’t do it. I didn’t want to argue with them, so I left the train at the next station and returned home. When my parents returned, they asked me why I had left them. I explained that God forbids worship of other gods. We sat for five hours as I explained what I could about God, Creation, Jesus’ life and death, and His second coming. Finally my parents nodded. They didn’t understand my new faith, but they let me follow my convictions. I thank God for leading me to the Seventh-day Adventist high school. It changed my life. I now teach young people, knowing that they can share their faith with their families. It’s my way of giving back. Our mission offerings help to build strong Seventh-day Adventist schools around the world where thousands of young people find Christ every year. Thank you for supporting missions.
Posted on: Fri, 20 Sep 2013 00:31:49 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015