If you’re not careful to verify what you hear and read from less than scrupulous televangelists, you may be prone to fall into the trap of believing that your commitment to follow Jesus will now mean that life is gonna be smooth sailing from here on out… not so my friend.
In fact it’s more likely that once you make that commitment to follow Christ, this is where the trouble will begin.
Friends may turn away from you because you’ve now become “that annoying Christian”, job opportunities may elude you because you “lack focus” and so on.
What you need to understand is that a Christian, by their very definition, is a new creature.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)
You won’t sound the same, you may not want the same things and you may even start to look different. This can be disconcerting to friends, family and colleagues so expect at least a little resistance.
And this doesn’t even take into account the frustration the serpent must feel now that you’ve declared your freedom from his grip. He’s bound to pull out all the stops to make your transformation as difficult as he possibly can.
In a Bible study I attended one evening a fellow believer commented that her desires had now changed. The thing is though, this transformation is not likely to be something that occurs overnight. You need to be patient with yourself and expect the new you to literally take your entire life to emerge.
This is why it’s so important that Christians, both new and old, surround themselves with like minded souls so there is a level of accountability as you tread this fallen world with new eyes. This is not a journey you want to take on your own as there will be challenges at every turn.
Becoming a Christian doesn’t end with a baptism. That’s where it begins. Christ does the work of saving you and He will do the work of continually sanctifying you as you live out your life. Just like in the song “one day at a time sweet Jesus”.
The late David Wilkerson adds an interesting perspective in an article I found where he sheds some light on the significance of Jesus washing the feet of the disciples at the Last Supper.
Jesus demonstrated our need at the Last Supper when He took a towel and basin and began washing His disciples’ feet. Peter puzzled over this symbolic act, saying, “Lord, if You’re going to wash my feet, why not clean my head too?” (see John 13:9). Jesus answered, in essence, “Peter, you’re going to be saved by My blood. But you still live in a dirty world, and as you walk through it you’ll get dust on your feet. You’re going to need Me to wash your feet just as much as your heart.”
You can read the full article here.
So getting back to the original question posed “I’m a Christian. Now what?” it turns out the answer isn’t particularly complicated after all.
Expect troubles and take them to the Lord in prayer and trust His answer (whether you like it or not) and one day He will personally greet you with a smile and say…
“Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’