I’ve Been Baptised, So Now What?
What Has Changed For Me?
I shared here back in October 2021 that I was getting baptised just after two years after starting my walk as a Christian. If you haven’t read that blog, please head on over and read that one before coming back to read this follow up blog.
Why was getting baptised important to me?
I gave my life to Jesus because He has helped me SO much not only since late 2019 but also, looking back I know now that He has ALWAYS been with me throughout my life. Even when I acknowledge Him like I do now or even didn’t know Him as I do now.
I feel closer to Jesus since being baptised. Baptism removes original sin and actual sin if present. It symbolises the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ by immersion in water. It’s a promise to put Him at the centre of my life and to have a chance to start over.
How have I changed?
I’m a lot calmer.
I’m much more positive.
I’m quicker to ask God for help with things and thank Him when things go well.
What’s changed in my life?
I listen to worship music moreover than any other music.
I’m consuming more faith-based content over secular content.
I have a larger more like-minded supportive community around me.
New thoughts on community …
It’s doing life with others; sharing the highs and lows of life.
Encouraging each other.
Help to carry each other’s burdens.
Taking the good and the bad of people.
I’m so used to doing life on my own because I couldn’t have a community for the ten years while I was with my ex, and only a few at my previous work felt like a community to me. As a result, my first response when things start to get difficult is to retreat into myself, journal about it and try to figure it out on my own. I try to muddle along alone because that’s my familiar; it’s what I’m used to, by default. I’ve only had my church community for just over two years and my Masters’ Fam discord community for a little over twelve months. That’s nothing compared to what I’m used to.
I’m not the best at opening myself up to people, to begin with, as I’m shy and reserved when I first meet people. I’m also not very good at letting people in because I’ve been so hurt in my past by those that were supposed to love me and take care of me that, as a result, I’m still not used to sharing my burdens with anyone
A community, like all relationships, takes work from both and all parties involved. I need to start doing my bit.
“Alone, we can do so little; together we can do so much.”
It’s not easy to slot into people's established lives because people already have their lives set up, and I've found it difficult as an adult to make friends sometimes. Even in the last thirteen years, it’s still difficult because people move away, they move on with their lives, get married and/or have children and I’m just not at that stage yet. Even at 46 years of age, it feels like they’re moving on and I’m kind of stuck where I am.
I’m also very guarded when I meet people because I’m used to myself or others not sticking around. Growing up with a dad in the army means I’m so used to moving or people moving away that I’ve always struggled to form lasting friendships. But, as with anything, it takes time and patience, and it’s going to take more work on my part to try to integrate myself into people's lives.
The Bible app verse of May 12 said;
“He cuts off every branch in me that there is no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.”
I’m used to thinking that I control the narrative of my life but I can’t and don’t, and I never have. It was designed and planned out millennia before I was even born for His glory.
I forget that I’m not the one driving and I’m not meant to steer as often as I try to. I have to remember every day and often multiple times a day to hand the day over to Him, to hand whatever situation I am struggling with over to Him. He after all has the map and I don’t.
Something I’m struggling with as a new Christian
Because I don’t know the Bible well yet, I’m unsure what to read and study during my morning quiet time. I feel overwhelmed with it. I’d like to know what sections to read about for what I’m currently going through in my life, but I’m not at that stage yet. I want to know it ALL and understand as much as possible which is my nature, but I’ve no idea where to start.
I have both NIV and NLT physical Bible translations and the Bible App on my phone, as well as a couple of devotional books; Jesus Calling and New Morning Mercies. In the past, I’ve used the Enduring World website for helping me to understand what I’ve read as I have read bits and pieces here and there while doing some Bible passage studies in the past with one of my church's Bible Connect groups.
I’d prefer to incorporate Bible Study into the end of my morning quiet time after I listen to the Mornings With The Masters’ podcast followed by some time journaling. I just don't know how to choose a theme or passage to study with not knowing the whole Bible at this point. I’m an all in kind of person, When I get a new interest I want to know everything about it NOW!!!
But the Bible is so in-depth it’s not possible to know it all and I’m aware that it can be read multiple times and each time something new will be gleaned and learned.
It’s a lifetime’s quest that I am so happy to be on!
Comment down below how you began to choose parts of the Bible to study when you first began to study the Bible.
