The Lord’s Saving Grace
Hello I am Rachel and I will be 21 this year. I am currently finishing my second year in university and will be entering my third this August.
I have been attending Bethany since I was born. I attended Sunday school, children’s church and junior camp but salvation and faith only became personal to me at 13 during Youth Conference in 2009 During my first year in secondary school, with a little more freedom than I was given in primary school, I mixed with bad company and was therefore influenced adversely. For example, I used bad language because it seemed normal in my school. I did not see my actions as sinning against God until I went for Youth Conference. That year, the theme was “Freed” and it was only then that I truly realised that I was sinful and needed to be saved by the Lord Jesus Christ and to be freed from my sins.
When I entered my JC years, there were tremendous struggles. I was constantly distracted, faced relationship issues with my friends and my family, struggled with discipline and was lagging behind in my studies. I had difficulties understanding the concepts taught, failed many of my exams and the prospect of ultimately failing my A Levels with nowhere else to go after was very real. I remember that before every week of exams, Tr Chen Kee would check on me, encourage me with the Lord’s word and would always pray with and for me. My faith then was at best crisis driven and I only prayed much during desperate times. Nevertheless, even when I was faithless, God remained faithful to me. It is only by His abundant grace and mercy that I even have a spot in a local university today.
Immediately after completing my A Levels and in my tired and weary state, I went to see Tr Chen Kee and told her that I felt that I did not need God in my life. Of course, she rebuked me. I know that she rebuked me in love and she encouraged me to start developing a relationship with God instead. Thereafter, things only started to change after I devoted time each day to read the Lord’s word and started to develop a personal relationship with God. Through this, I am more aware that I have many more sin problems that I have to deal with and that it is the Lord who is working in me and not I effecting change on my own. One verse that is a constant reminder is from Philippians 2: 13-14,
“work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.”
Every day, I pray for the Lord to continue working in me and to change me from within.
Since I started university, I wanted to be more conscious of the Lord in school. Initially, I struggled a lot with not getting good grades and I often wondered if I am only meant to be an average student all my life. Nevertheless, Tr Chen Kee reminded me that my self-worth is not based on the paper qualifications that I have. Instead, I should always seek the Lord and His presence and to always set Him before me. I am still in university and these struggles continue to be very real but I am always reminded that I should always seek to do my best to glorify the Lord and that is enough, regardless of the grade I get at the end of the day. Another two favourite verses that I hold dear to my heart are from Psalm 16:8, which reads:
“I have set the LORD always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved”
and Hebrews 11:6, which reads:
“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”
By seeking reaffirmation, I would also like to be part of Bethany, a place that has become my spiritual family. Many people here have come to run alongside me, spiritually and physically. They helped me in my walk with God, in my studies and even my health. Through this, I know that I am really loved and cared for by the people here in Bethany. It is in this church that I experienced the Lord’s saving grace, and His love through His people.
I would like to be publicly identified as a Christian and not be tossed to and fro anymore, to be a part of Bethany and to one day serve the Lord as well.