I’d like to introduce you to an incredible young lady. I know her personally as I used to be her piano teacher many years ago. She would come into my house one of two ways … all bubbly with her beautiful golden blonde hair and sweet smile or with a sad frown that told me right off that perhaps her week of practicing (or not practicing) hadn’t gone very well. Either way, she and her older sister were a joy to get to know and teach. Then one day, just like that, she grew up!
That’s right! I stopped teaching and went into Women’s Ministry and before I knew it, she was driving a car and going on mission trips! Now, she is a beautiful, talented, and confident young woman. She’s 17 and will be a senior next year – that really makes me feel old. I can only imagine how it makes her parents feel. Anyway, she was the youngest to participate in our cardboard testimonies back in April, and I am delighted to share her testimony with you. It will inspire, challenge, and encourage you.
Testimony of Encouragement #6
Meet Amelia … Insecure and Trying to Please Others
I was raised in a Christian family and grew up at Warren Baptist. I accepted Jesus as my savior when I was in the 2nd grade. I understood the Gospel, but didn’t really have a 24/7 devoted mindset of living for Jesus. Overtime, my faith grew as I started to read my Bible and seek Him on a daily basis.
One of my main struggles was approval. I cared way too much about what others thought. I needed to learn to be myself and not seek approval from friends, guys, popularity, or pleasing others. This was particularly true during my middle school years. God took me from wanting to be just like everyone else to embracing being different from the world. He showed me that I could be confident in Him, and that I could stand out and be the young woman he created me to be.
This was a process, and God used many things to help me grow. Involvement in the youth group was a huge encouragement because I learned about the Word. I was also surrounded by godly girls who were committed to learning more about God. Being grounded in a church home was super important too because there wouldn’t have been any growing if I had never heard from my pastor and Sunday school teachers.
My life verse is Jeremiah 29:11 which says …
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
I love it because it reminds me that God has the perfect plan for my life. I may not understand it at times, but I know in the end He wants to use my life for His glory and His mission!!
Going from an insecure girl to a young woman who is secure in Christ has been a learning process, not an instantaneous thing. There was no “life-changing moment in time” but rather a steady, day-by-day journey. Along the way God has taught me to be real with the people around me and real with Him. I now know that there is nothing to be hidden in my relationship with Him! He has been guiding me over the past few years, and I have tried my best to follow him. I am excited to see what He will do in the future as I continue to seek Him and help others know Him for themselves.
Amelia now … Confident in Christ!
How incredible is that, ladies? Were you encouraged by this young woman’s testimony? What she said is true … the process of growing in Christ is just that – a process. As we daily read God’s Word, submit to His Lordship in our lives and obey His commands, and look to Him to lead us, HE will teach us, change us, and use us for His glory.
Below are some verses of encouragement to help you on your journey to becoming (and remaining) secure in Christ. Remember who you are, sister! I hope you’ve learned from this young ladies’ example. She made and is still making the choice each day to “follow Jesus.” That is where her confidence lies – not in self, in Him!
Verses to remind you of who you are in Christ …
- You are His Workmanship – Ephesians 2:10
- You are an Ambassador – 2 Corinthians 5:20
- You are His Precious Jewel – Malachi 3:17
- You are a Child of Light – 1 Thessalonians 5:5
- You are the Aroma of Christ – 2 Corinthians 2:15
- You are a Royal Priesthood – 1 Peter 2:9-10
- You are a New Creation – 2 Corinthians 5:17
Have a wonderful week!
Jacqueline Heider is the Director of Women’s Ministry, Prayer, and Resource Specialist at Warren Baptist Church