~By: Krista Steuber~
I was baptized on March 9, 2019. I wanted to share the words I spoke to all of my dear friends and family who were gathered with me that day to help me celebrate such a joyous and unforgettable event:
I started thinking about the fact that I wanted to be baptized last summer during a study that I was doing with a friend of the book Multiply. The author of that book, Francis Chan, talked about baptism being a non-negotiable initial step to identify with Jesus, and I took that to heart. It was confirmed even more when my friend and mentor told me she had been thinking the same thing - that I should be baptized.
My husband asked me why I wanted to be baptized a second time, since I’ve already been baptized as a baby in the Catholic church. I told him it’s because, as an adult, I have made a decision to follow Christ, and now, I have the opportunity to profess that.
I get to declare my promise to Jesus, and to all of you, that I’m following His example and commandment. Jesus was water baptized, so I’m following in His footsteps. It’s a symbol of my new life in Christ and a declaration of my faith and obedience to His commands.
Baptism is a symbol of Christ’s burial and resurrection, so I’m burying my old life - a life of self and self-centeredness - and rising to my brand new life as a disciple of Christ. I love, trust, and have put my hope in Jesus. He is the Lord of my life, and I’m committed to living for Him.
Three words came to mind when I first starting thinking about what I wanted to say today - love, gratitude, and praise. These three words encompass everything I feel about what God has done in my life over the past two years that brought me here today. He drew me back to Him and gave me healing, joy, and purpose. When I first started to seek God, He gave me a verse that I clung to as I was going through a really difficult time in my life. It’s Romans 8:18: What we are suffering now cannot compare to the glory that will be shown to us. It’s a promise that I hold in my heart.
In this past year, God has taught me so much and has given me a new perspective. He gave me opportunities beyond what I ever could have thought. He gave me a family of sisters to join with to go out and make disciples.
What’s next? What does the future hold? Only God knows the answer to that. All I need to do is listen and follow Him. He’s in control, and that’s all that matters.
