So you’ve decided to give your heart to the Lord and believe that Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. You’ve taken the bold step of being baptized knowing that you are no longer yours, but His. Congratulations, you are a Christian! What happens after you’ve been saved? Is there a next?
Yes! You might be a Christian. But there is much more to this than just the title. Being a Christian, a follower and disciple of Christ, it is a lifestyle.
Know your allies.
As you can read in the four gospels, Mathew, Mark, Luke, and John, the disciples sat together, spent time with and ministered to one another, and encouraged each other spiritually. It is no use to try to make it alone. You need to find a group of people who share the same faith, whom you can count on in your time of need, to help you in the right direction. You also need to identify the things in your life that don’t build you in Christ. The enemy uses anything and everything available to him to lead you away from God. It can be media, temptations, and even other people. Rather move away from these things.
“And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.” – Ephesians 5:11
“He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will be destroyed.” – Proverbs 13:20
Know your God.
Though it is impossible to understand God, it is crucial for you to know Him. Spend time reading the Bible. Know Him as a Father, a Guide, a Judge, a Giver, a Comforter, know Him as an all-sufficient God. A God who can fill any gap or brokenness in your life. Study His personality. This is important, since you will only be able to discern between His voice and the tempting voice of the enemy when making decisions, if you can recognise Gods nature.
Speak to the Lord.
God is personal and intimate. Like in any other relationship, your relationship with the Father is almost nonexistent if you do not speak to Him. Praying is not just for asking favors or to cleanse your food. In fact, it is the complete opposite. To pray to God is to pour your heart out towards Him, whether it is giving praise or sharing your sorrows with Him. Nothing is hidden from Him, so you may as well include Him in every area of your life. You are only to benefit from this.
Display Jesus to the world.
Our main goal is to show the world who Jesus is. Actions speak louder than words. Therefore, it is pointless to tell them who He is and what He is like if our actions show otherwise. We need to live it. As the old saying goes, “What would Jesus do?” Ask yourself this before doing anything. By doing this, you will also disciple others. Jesus was the perfect person. All He did was walk where the Father led Him, prayed and heal the sick, disciple, baptised, and preach the Good News.