When Faith becomes Real
Doubting my salvation at a young age is something that shaped my walk with Jesus more than I realized at the time. I grew up in church, in a Christian family. I got baptized young, and I always knew the Lord. I never doubted that He loved me. But if I’m being honest… I wasn’t really living for Him.
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9
For years, I stayed stuck in this cycle. Every time I felt conviction, or went to a big conference, I thought, “This is it, I need to give my life to Jesus again.” And I would. Over and over. Not because He left me, but because I didn’t fully understand what it meant to truly follow Him. I was comfortable. Lukewarm. The Same town, same friends, same routines… just going through the motions. Looking back, I can see it very clearly now, He was with me through all of it. Even in my confusion, even in my doubt!
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” Psalm 34:18
Everything started to change my senior year of high school. I felt the Lord tugging on my heart to move to West Monroe, Louisiana, my sister goes to college here and I never thought the Lord would call me to move here as well. The call wasn’t subtle it was clear. It was one of the first times I didn’t just feel something… I responded. That’s when I started to understand: Being saved isn’t something you have to keep redoing. It happens when you truly believe in Jesus, repent, and choose to turn toward Him daily. It’s not about chasing a feeling, it’s about surrender. Trusting that He has everything worked out for those who follow Him. And yes, the beginning can be hard. Following Him costs something. But we were never called to be perfect! He is perfect! His love is perfect for us.
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. ” 2 Corinthians 12:9
The more you walk with Jesus, the more your heart starts to change. Your love for Him grows… and eventually, the things that break His heart start to break yours too. That’s how you know it’s real. Not perfection, but transformation. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation…” 2 Corinthians 5:17
And something else I didn’t expect in this season-being an ambassador for LO has changed so much for me. It’s brought me new sisters, new friendships, and experiences I never would have had if I stayed where I was comfortable. I’ve seen God’s goodness so clearly through this! How He places the right people in your life when you step out in obedience and complete faith in Him! It reminded me that we aren’t meant to walk this out alone. Grace is such a beautiful gift. One we don’t earn and don’t deserve, but receive freely through Jesus. And not only that. He
gave us the Holy Spirit to live inside of us. We’re not doing this alone.“The Spirit of God dwells in you.” 1 Corinthians 3:16
If you feel like you’ve been stuck in that same cycle I was in (questioning, doubting, staying comfortable) I want you to know this:
You don’t have to keep starting over.
You just have to start walking with Him for real.
Here are some reflection questions to ask yourself:
Am I truly following Jesus, or just comfortable in knowing about Him?
Have I been relying on feelings to define my faith instead of surrender?
Is there an area of my life where God is calling me to step out, but I’ve been staying comfortable?
Do I trust that I am saved by grace, or do I feel like I have to keep “starting over”?
Who has God placed in my life to walk this out with and am I letting them?
“Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.” James 4:8
