Like many others at Chinese Grace Bible Church (CGBC),  I grew up in a Christian family. As a result, my childhood was predominantly filled with Bible stories and hymns that overall just made me feel good inside.  However, it was not until much later that God helped me realize what this feel-good attitude was about.

Jesus used to be only a name to me, no more. I’ve heard the saying “Jesus lives in me” so many times, but it made no sense to me. While the other children at church were feeling encouraged by Christ’s never-ending presence, I on the other hand, simply sat, stymied by the image of a man living inside his house of straw within my beating heart.

Back in my homeland of Taiwan, I felt like things were under control: My parents were very loving; my brothers set good examples for me; I was performing well in school; and I had many friends to play with during recess. What I didn’t see was the “who.” Who was in control? Surely not me, an elementary school kid who didn’t even understand the slightest bit about how to balance a check book, let alone have authority over my life. Before I figured out the answer, I moved to America.

Few people ever mention what a “sudden” move is like. It means a sudden loss of friends, a sudden shift in one’s way of life, but also a sudden increase of opportunity. For me, it was a sudden entrance of Jesus Christ into my hungry heart. From fourth to sixth grade, I learned more about God than I thought was possible. That was a period of time when God prepared my heart to accept Him through His Truth. Then in seventh grade, my brother took me to a Singspiration event at CGBC on a Friday night. There truly was something special about being in a room praising the Almighty Father with so many others. This experience that God placed in my life overwhelmed me. Like a prodigal son, I cried out, desperate for his love and warmth, only to find that He had been there the entire time, and He will never leave me either. Through every activity at CGBC, every class, every meeting, and every outing, I felt my heart pump with a newfound hope as Jesus began building his house of sticks in me through the Holy Spirit.

My acceptance of Jesus Christ was not accompanied by dramatic monologue or incessant weeping. On the contrary, it all began in my dining room one Saturday afternoon while I was reflecting on the things I’ve learned. I remembered my TIGS sponsor Asa’s words to us when he was giving his message: “If you have any doubt about whether you will be allowed into the kingdom of heaven, take that step of faith and wholeheartedly accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, and you will be saved.” With those words, I knew what I needed to do. I bowed my head and prayed a brief but powerful prayer of confession to God. From that point on, I felt the Holy Spirit turning my life in a completely different direction. I found myself thinking differently, often making decisions out of love rather than selfish desire.

Without the Holy Spirit working in me, I would never have been able to find the courage to study the Bible with my friends at school and even taking a few nonbelievers to church. This is why I wish to take this next step of faith, to hold myself accountable in front of this whole family of brothers and sisters-in-Christ. To ensure my constant and enduring belief in Christ Jesus and to be encouraged by others who have also taken this step.

I would like to share one of my favorite verses from the Bible, I Corinthians 1:18 (NIV), “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” Rather than creating a barrier that separates us believers from scoffers, this verse actually has the opposite effect, acting as a call to action to use this power of God to change the world. God has a plan to use His mighty power to change the world for the better, and I hope that my declaration of faith can be used for His holy purpose. Now Jesus is truly living in me. Forget about a house of straw, sticks, or even bricks; He is building fortresses to guard my heart and to glorify Him.