I believe the most rewarding experience as a Christian is to witness, firsthand, a person choosing to follow Jesus Christ. When we see an individual take those baby steps with God and then eventually grow into a fuller understanding of who God is, we are reassured of God’s plan of salvation. Nothing renews our spiritual walk with God like sharing the gospel.
Each of us at some point of our lives embarks on a quest to find meaning, purpose, and love. Most often this quest leads to a desire to know God and His Word. My husband, Andrew, and I had the privilege to accompany two special people in their quest for God in the midst of a pandemic.
Nathan, my youngest sibling, began his quest for God at a very young age. His passion for God has no limits. During the past four years Nathan has spent much time in prayer and in the study of God’s Word. Often he would be the first to wake up in the morning to spend some extra time with God before beginning his daily routine. His commitment to prioritize his time with God was inspiring. Whether it was around the table or on our way to church, he always asked us questions from the Bible and shared his concern of applying it in our lives.
Nathan had the desire to be baptized when he turned 15, but because of the pandemic it was delayed. This did not deter his passion to keep learning. He asked Andrew and me to study with him Seventh-day Adventist beliefs and doctrines when we were at home during the lockdown. Andrew then continued to study the Scriptures and learned some homiletical skills from our father and a pastor.
Nathan’s unwavering desire to experience God continues and has resulted in a closer walk with Him. Sometimes his unrelenting questions can be exhausting, but they remind me to persevere with passion in my quest of God.
Lalnunthari, a friend from Myanmar, recently developed a passion for God’s Word. We sang together in the Spicer Memorial College choir and graduated together in 2016. We met again in Bangalore in 2019. While we were remembering our college days, she shared her passionate desire to study the Bible. She wished to know more about God and the Seventh-day Adventist faith. We began to study the Bible together.
Lalnunthari had been raised as a Methodist and attended church with her family. But she wanted more. She studied the Bible and compared it to the beliefs she had been taught. Lalnunthari had many questions and was excited to share with us the truths she was discovering in her Bible reading. We were moved as she expressed her thoughts on deep theological concepts in simple terms and realized that this was possible through the Holy Spirit’s working. God kept helping her to grow through many conversations.
There is so much energy and joy in discovering truth. The smile on her face said it all as she connected the dots and made sense of it all. We saw her being transformed before our very eyes. This is nothing short of a miracle. Her quest for God and truth was real and moving.
This quest for God, this hunger for Him, this thirst for a deeper understanding of Him, results in a deeper love for Him. Nathan and Lalnunthari decided to give their lives to Jesus and were baptized last year. These were joyous moments. We are told that heaven rejoices each time someone decides to give their life to God. God desires that we develop a deep passion for Him and persevere in faith. For some the quest has just begun; for others it’s set to continue.
