My father always taught me that a person is only as good as their word. I always took that to heart and felt that it was good advice. After I received my call from the Lord (How I Came to Believe in Jesus and Live for Him) to tell others about Him, I made a vow. I promised God, saying, “I will go wherever You want me to go, I will say whatever You want me to say, just send me and I will do it.” I told my dad about my vow to the Lord, and he did not make it void (Numbers 30:3-5). Soon after I made this vow, I was tested to see if I would keep it.
Heeding God’s Call in Ninth Grade
When God speaks to me, it is not something I hear aloud. It is deeper within my heart and my soul. When I was in the ninth grade, He spoke to me while I was riding the school bus back home one day and said, “Go and talk to that girl about me.” At first, I felt nervous, but God gave me the confidence that I needed to speak to her. I found out that she was a Christian, too. God wanted my first test to be a joyous one. It was a blessing to get to meet another believer. Soon afterwards, I began to tell others about God without even thinking about it. Some people did not want to hear and as you can imagine, there were a few times where I was met with rudeness. At other times, people were more open to the Good News and discussing the Bible, which was encouraging not only to me but also to whom I was speaking with.
Divine Guidance in Times of Distress
After my first year in the Mission, which was a Bible/ministry school, I was tested once again. I went home for the summer, and I was helping my dad at his appliance shop. While there, I kept feeling very distraught and I could not concentrate on my work. I immediately started reading my Bible and praying almost nonstop. My dad complained to me and said, “What’s wrong with you?” I could not explain it. I just felt so out of place, and I needed to have a serious conversation with God. After three days of dealing with all of this, I asked God why I was feeling this way. As my eyes were closed, God showed me a vision of a girl named Daisy. She was someone I had been ministering to while at the Mission. God revealed to me that I needed to return to the Mission to be a part of the summer outreach team. I shared this with my dad, and he was not happy about it. He could have really used my help during the summer, but I had to keep my vow (mentioned above) to the Lord.
Honoring Commitments to God’s Mission
Over the summer, I was able to minister to Daisy and her family. I felt at peace. I was no longer confused because God had me where He wanted me. There are so many more examples in my life to answering the call and keeping my word to God. Many examples are written in my book, “First Love Lost, True Love Gained.” Sometimes, we get distracted in life and get off course. If we seek God, He will guide us in the right direction.
Encouragement to Uphold Promises and Acts of Kindness
I want to encourage you to keep your word, not only to God, but to others as well. If you promise someone that you will come over to their house and help them clean or to do a project, you should do it. I understand we all have hurdles to overcome in life. We all have obligations that can keep us feeling like doing anything extra is asking too much. If you take the time to help others, it can be a blessing to you and to them. Your heart will feel encouraged, and God will bless you for your kindness. God knows every single one of us. He knows our hearts. He wants us to obey Him. After all, if we love Him, we will obey Him. “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.” 1 John 5:3 NKJV