Evan’s Story

I’ve never known or seen how quickly God could impact someone’s life until he worked in mine and then showed himself in the lives of those around me by completely transforming their hearts.

Before I truly became a Christian, I was living a very shallow and lukewarm Christian life. My attitude toward religion was very methodic and revolved around church on Sunday mornings and youth group Wednesday evenings. In high school, I found my security and justification in sports and relationships. As long as I could perform well, have my close group of friends with me, or have a girlfriend at my side which I could rely on, I felt needed, secure, and as though I was worth something.

However, these things didn’t always last and I felt a longing for something else. Coming into college, I realized that video games continued to grow old, the glory days of high school sports were over, not all my friendships could stay close, and relationships had come and gone. I struggled to find something else that could fulfill these empty spots, and in these struggles I turned to sins that only offered temporary satisfaction such as physical relationships and drinking.

I had remembered trusting in Christ and becoming a Christian around the age of 6, but from then on I wouldn’t say I understood what it meant to be a Christian until my second year in college.  It was then that God placed some disciplers, or more mature Christians that can be seen as mentors, in my life who took the time to sit down with me and pour into my life and show me what it is to walk in the Holy Spirit–to fully rely on Jesus in order to have a close and intimate relationship with God.

From here I discovered that the Christian life isn’t some set of rules of “do’s” and “don’ts”, it’s a relationship. I found that God had such unconditional love for me, a love that would go so far as to send his only son Jesus to be a substitute for the penalty of my sins. This is explained in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He sent His one and only son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life”. Even though I had felt guilty and broken with my sins in the past, after trusting in Christ they were paid for and forgotten and I came to understand that God always views me through Christ, in which he is overjoyed.

My attitude after fully relying on Christ to take the penalty of my sins started to change me into a completely different person. No longer do I have to “try” hard to live a Christian life with my own power or do good things for God so I could somehow gain his favor.  The debt has already been paid for me! I realized before that I was trying to earn something that was already a free gift of mine to have and experience, a relationship with Christ! Ephesians 2:8-9 could not have summed up this moment in my life any clearer, “for it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and it is not of yourselves it is a gift from God, not by works so that no one my boast”. I had been saved by a free gift from God.  By trusting in Jesus as my Savior to take the penalty for my sins, I could experience an intimate relationship with God, and there was no way I could accomplish this on my own no matter how many good things I did, Bible studies I attended, or church services I dressed up for.

I had finally found what I was missing in my life, a relationship that continued to satisfy me more than anything else I could have experienced. I also began to experience some heart changes and was told by some close friends around me that they could see them as well. No longer did I have to rely on my own strength to resist temptations or show others love or patience, but I could rely fully on the Holy Spirit through me to do these things. My life had changed in a way that I can feel the Holy Spirit guiding me in my daily walk, allowing me to more clearly understand God’s word, will for the world, and also make me more conscious of sins to avoid that had never even crossed my mind before walking with the Holy Spirit.

My life now had a purpose and I began to feel motivated out of love to move and expand God’s kingdom. The news and hope that God has for us is too great to leave unsaid.  God is offering eternal life and a personal relationship with the creator of the universe to us because he loves us! Jesus’ commission to his disciples before entering back into heaven in Matthew 28:19-20 says “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” He is always with us, will never leave us, and nothing can ever take him away from us! What better way to glorify God than to give others a chance to experience the love and joy that a relationship with Him offers!

In my Christian walk today I am not perfect and still struggle with sins, but I know that through my salvation in Jesus, I will not be condemned, and God will continually shape me into a person that will more and more resemble Christ as long as I rely on Him to lead me!

Evan Buchholz