Following Christianity did more than simply flip a switch for me, and here are eleven life-changing lessons I’ve learned as a Christian.Â
What happened behind closed doors
Before I became a Christian, I used to think that prayer was something that people did in public, trying to look like they were doing the right thing. But then I read Matthew 6:5-6.
In it, Jesus literally tells people to go into a room and shut the door, encouraging believers to pray in private, rather than performing it in public. Now, I understand that prayer is a much more personal thing than I had ever expected it to be.
The thing I stopped treating as optional
There was once a time when I was stingier with my forgiveness, and it all depended on how bad the action was. Those days are gone now. The change came after I read Colossians 3:13, and I saw that it encouraged believers to forgive others as the Lord forgave us.
I realized that it didn’t matter that I didn’t feel ready. Sure, it didn’t make forgiving any easier, but the most important thing I understood was that forgiveness isn’t a decision I can delay.
The day off that wasn’t really about laziness
Like most people, I used to feel guilty about resting, almost as though I hadn’t earned that right yet. Becoming a Christian saved me from that kind of negative thinking. I saw the command in Exodus 20:8-10 that the Sabbath has nothing to do with how productive someone is.
Instead, it’s written as a command that includes everyone around us, and it changed how I saw rest. Now, I’ve started blocking off time to relax, rather than trying to squeeze it in.
Where I had less to hide
Who likes to talk about weaknesses? Not most people, and that includes the past versions of me. It wasn’t until I read 2 Corinthians 12:9 that I saw things differently, as this verse talks about how God’s power is made perfect in weakness.
While I did feel a little uncomfortable at first when I learned about how Paul says he’ll boast about it, I later changed my approach. I don’t try as hard to cover everything up.
The person I used to walk past
It took reading the Good Samaritan story in Luke 10:25-37 for me to understand how much I was actually ignoring people. In the past, it was easy to brush people off because helping them was inconvenient. But this verse changed that.
I started paying more attention to those I wasn’t helping, and I began noticing a lot more around me. Whether or not they need help, I’m now more understanding of how others might be feeling, and it’s changed my relationships completely.
What had to change first
Before I became a Christian, I thought becoming a better person was pretty much impossible, as it seemed like a mammoth task. Yet Romans 12:2 completely changed my perspective because it talks about transforming yourself by renewing your mind first.
It made me understand that I couldn’t simply fix habits without considering what I was thinking about each day. Nowadays, I pay a lot more attention to what I’m feeding my mind. I look at what I watch and read, as well as what I’m focused on, as a way of changing myself.Â
The list I kept coming back to
One of the passages that had the greatest effect on me in the Bible was Galatians 5:22-23. Sure, it’s simple, but the message of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control is hard to ignore.
Before becoming a Christian, I thought growth had to involve doing more or achieving more. Now I understand that’s not true. I’ve started rethinking what progress actually looks like, and I find that I’m checking myself against that list of traits, rather than anything on the outside.Â
The part I couldn’t split in two
It’s way too easy as an atheist to think that you have to pick and choose in life. Thank goodness Christianity taught me differently. Verses like Micah 6:8 made me realize that I don’t have separate things like acting justly, loving mercy, or walking humbly with God.
Focusing on being right but not kind? Being kind without thinking about justice? I don’t believe in doing that anymore.
The words that had to be said
One of the greatest life lessons I’ve learned since becoming a Christian is that I don’t have to keep things to myself. Before, I felt uncomfortable about the idea of saying things out loud to others. But reading James 5:16 changed that.
I understand that I should, and deserve, to share my sins with other people. It’s also changed how I support those around me because I’ve started praying with them, instead of simply listening to them.
The line I couldn’t soften
There’s no getting away from annoying people, even as a Christian. However, one thing I have learned is that it’s better to love my enemies and pray for those who treat me badly than to try avoiding them.
It’s all because I read Matthew 5:44. Becoming a Christian has helped me to accept that some people don’t always have my best interests in mind, and that’s okay. The best I can do is hope that their lives get better.Â
The seasons I had to stop fighting
In the past, I used to resist the hard phases of life. If that wasn’t possible, then I’d try controlling it or rushing through it, although not anymore. It took becoming a Christian for me to work out that not everyone’s period of life is supposed to look the same.
Verses like Ecclesiastes 3:1 taught me that the different phases of life, like birth, death, planting, uprooting, weeping, and laughing, are all there for a reason.
Sources: Please see here for a complete listing of all sources that were consulted in the preparation of this article.
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