Embracing Wholehearted Faith
Sydney Farmer // UGA Student
"Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ - Matthew 7: 21-23
Over a year ago, this bible verse terrified me. As I read through the gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) for the first time in my life, I remember reading this verse and having the frightening realization that I didn’t know the Lord. My whole life, I wore my Christianity badge with pride. I thought that if I attended church on a Sunday, went on mission trips, and served in a variety of ministries I could check off the Christianity box. However, I was doing that in dead faith and to please others around me. My actions did not align with the badge I wore and my life was filled with empty purpose. Reading through these verses in Matthew, I realized that the Lord would not be able to say that He ever knew me. As I continued reading the Gospels, I learned more about what Jesus had done for me and how he had taken the punishment for my sins. I was wrecked by the truth of the Gospel and regularly had to wipe away tears. Through reading, I came face to face with the fact that I sin daily against a perfect God which continually separates me from Him. But God loves me so much that He sent His son, Jesus, to die for my sins and all he asks of me is to repent of my sins and follow Him. Since the day I understood that truth my life has looked radically different.
The first big step towards my faith journey was committing myself to attend church regularly. The first time I walked into Watkinsville First Baptist Church, I was intrigued by the giant map showing all the places Watkinsville had sent missionaries and the painted purpose statement written in beautiful font: “We glorify God by making wholehearted followers of Christ.” As I walked into the sanctuary, I noticed the congregation was spread across multiple generations, not just college students. Many of the members came into service with their Bibles and journals in hand. I had never seen that before. After attending a few services, I knew that Watkinsville was a different church. I began to meet people at the church who were passionate about their faith and trusting the Lord with their whole lives. They knew that their good works would not be enough to enter the kingdom of heaven but through their faith in God alone. At that time, I was completely unprepared for the way that God would completely change my life in the next year.
Authenticity has become one of the most beautiful words to me. It is defined as “the quality of being real or true.” Cultural Christianity is anything but real or true. It is going to church on a Sunday to perform like a Christian but not acting like one for the rest of the week. It is thinking that apart from God we are self-sufficient and bear fruit from our good deeds. Jesus tells us, “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned” (John 15: 4-8). Cultural Christians are branches that hang apart from the vine thinking they can bear their fruit. The truth is we can’t bear any fruit without completely abiding in Him. When I devoted my life to pursuing becoming a wholehearted follower of Christ, I watched my faith seep into my everyday life. It no longer was a Sunday faith for me. I began to display more of the fruits of the spirit (see Galatians 5:22-23) and watched myself fall in complete submission to God. Also, I began to see tangible differences in the way I lived my life once I began to abide in Him. I started listening to music that glorified and worshiped God. I found myself being kinder to others in ways I never had before. I felt authentic joy. I also became surrounded by Christian friends who encouraged me to walk with God daily.
The truth is while all these aspects I listed are wonderful, devoting your life to God is not easy or a quick fix. When you decide to devote your life to living as a wholehearted follower of Christ, you will regularly come face to face with your darkest sins. It is painful, and hard, and may involve tearful apologies and difficult conversations. It is late nights in the car telling your story and deepest hurts, letting it all out in the open to be molded by God and held accountable by dear friends. It is a profound understanding that you are not enough and only God is sufficient. It is a complete submission of control. It is tearing away performance based Christianity and instead letting God define who you are through the Bible (His words written for us). One of my favorite quotes from “The Gospel Comes With a House Key” says, “God’s love is costly, bloody, and powerful. It bore down the mocking of Satan and the betrayal of friends. His mercy in the Son paid the price of his justice in the Father, and his Spirit forges an irreplaceable, unbreakable, and eternal union with him that carries us through death itself (Psalm 147).” What Jesus did on the cross is unmistakably powerful. God the Creator of the Heavens and Earth came down and humbled himself in human likeness to die for our sins. By wholeheartedly accepting Him into your life, you will watch yourself engage in new battles you never thought you would face. There were some moments over the last year where I felt frustrated and tired of battling against the woman I was, but with an awesome God forming me into the woman he knows I can be and my church family around me, I was and continually have been able to continue pushing forward. Does this mean that after a year of being a believer, I am perfect? No, not at all! I will never be perfect but that is the beauty of having a God who is. I am constantly striving in my run with the Lord to become the woman he wants me to be because I know He has a greater plan for me.
My Best Advice To Someone Feeling Lost:
Read your Bible: Before becoming a true wholehearted Christian, my bible used to collect dust on my bookshelf. Once I started to read through my Bible, my heart began to change. Everyone will tell you what feels like a million different ways to read the Bible. Don’t be overwhelmed or hard on yourself and start small. When I first started reading my bible, I probably read about 15-20 minutes a day, a couple times a week. Now I strive to read every day and I usually read my bible and journal for as long as I can in the morning. I started by reading the Books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John and comparing the gospels which helped me understand the character of Jesus.
Become Active in a Church Home: Attend church regularly and get plugged in! Learn about the values of the church and make sure it aligns with the bible. I decided to join Watty because sermons were primarily centered around a passage in the bible rather than a topic. Also, they had small groups, an awesome college ministry, and an internship that helped me to make Christian friends and learn more about my faith!
Surround Yourself with Good Community: I would not be the woman I am today without my community of people who continually love and support me. They hold me accountable to continue to grow with God even when I feel like I am struggling. The first few months of being a new believer can be difficult and for me, it was so helpful to have friendships that were honoring to the Lord. I also asked for help from older women in the church which was very helpful to gain insight from people who have been Christians a long time. Ask lots of questions, be an active learner, and don’t be ashamed if you do not have all the right answers!
Sydney Farmer is a Religion and History major entering her fourth year at UGA. She loves serving in the student and college ministry and is a D-group leader for a sweet group of seventh-grade girls. She just got back from an impactful summer in Boston, where she served on a mission with GenSend for two months. She loves hanging out with her wonderful friends, being a barista at Joe and Sam's, and eating barbecue!
HAVE A COOL IDEA FOR A BLOG POST?
Email college@watkinsville.org with your idea and we’ll talk about posting it here!
Check out our most recent posts below!
Will Puckett // UGA Student & College Ministry Intern