What does the word mature mean to you and what bible verse comes to you when you think of the word?
A person who is mature is someone who has exercised their senses to know what sin is and what it is not. The word ‘exercise’ implies living a life that pleases God daily. This individual is active in their approach to their relationship with the Lord and doesn’t rely on someone else to do it for them. Theyl have mentors and people who they look up to, but they also take their relationship with God as their personal responsibility. The scripture that comes to mind is Hebrews 5:12-14.
Reflect on your walk with God up until now. What factors would you consider most important in your growth process?
At the age of 13, I gave my life to Christ. One of the first important activities in my life then was discipleship. The Lord put someone in my life to warn me of the dangers I would encounter as a believer going through discipleship. The second important factor was community.
I began to see a more wholesome growth when I lived in a community with other believers. The final important factor was realizing the need to take my own walk seriously. While I am strengthened through discipleship and community, my own personal devotion to the Lord is really what is going to keep me going at the end of the day.
What were your initial struggles when you gave your life to Christ?
Overcoming the sin in my life was my first struggle. I know it sounds so simple considering how I described maturity.
I think the biggest realization for me was that I wasn’t mature when I first got saved, and I needed a hands-on mentor or maybe I just needed to go through the season of high school the way it was. It was a period of struggling with fleshly desires. I had a hard time reconciling my sinful life and the fact that I was supposed to be living for Christ. I knew right from wrong but it’s like I almost shut off that part of my life when it came to pursuing the things that I felt were made available to me. So sexual sin earlier on in my walk, from pornography to masturbation, is one of the major things to point out from my past.
How were you able to overcome them?
Overcoming sexual sin was a journey. What helped me was first realizing there was something about it that didn’t sit right. Second, I realized that I could not stand in front of the congregation before God’s people with this hidden sin in my life. I was very involved in serving at my local church.
Initially, the conviction wasn’t there. However, it was really heavy on me when I began to study the word of God. The Lord broke me free after the struggle simply because of His grace and mercy honestly. I did a light Daniel’s fast for 5 days. The initial intention of the fast wasn’t even against fornication and masturbation. It was against pride and selfishness.
There were other areas of my life that I had seen the need to grow in, but the Lord helped me overcome masturbation and pornography through that 5 days fast. I was putting my feet down and telling myself there was need for change, and that was how my change began.
What’s one fun fact about you?
I really enjoy physical activity. I enjoy being active as a person, taking care of this one body that God has given me.