Great Lakes Region Summer Bible Conference (Review Testimony)

Key Verse: Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but the sinners to repentance.” (Luke 31-32)

I. The Work of God I Experienced

This conference was a lot different from the other conferences I have been to. Because I wasn’t originally going to be sharing a testimony, and only participated in a few music programs, I had a lot more time to relax and enjoy the conference in a different way. I was very glad that I participated in the various programs that I did, but it was also an opportunity to listen and understand instead of worrying about the many things that needed to be done.

It was also a great opportunity to get to know many of the people there; even among the Toledo UBF, there are people that I know but don’t know well. It was wonderful to be able to sit and talk with them, both about ourselves and also about the conference. I feel much closer to several people (who are and aren’t here tonight) and felt that my capacity to befriend people grew. Believe it or not, I am actually very shy and tend to be a private person, and it is only through the grace of God that I have come to be so open with people here at Toledo UBF. I get nervous easily when talking to someone I don’t know terribly well, but felt His strength with me as I broke out of my shell a little more and conversed with people I hardly knew, including my group Bible study leader, who I had never met before but found easy and fun to talk to.

The most important work I experienced, however, was in finding humility to serve when I didn’t want to. M. Rebecca’s operetta was one of the hardest things I have ever been a part of. At first, there was not even a clear direction for the program, and I was tempted many times to quit and complained a lot behind the scenes. However, I was encouraged by God to stick with it, and that through mine and others’ obedience it would come together and be a blessing in the end. Even on Saturday, the day we were to perform, things were not nailed down until the last minute—but when it came time to finally do it, things went so smoothly that I was astonished, and many people were touched by the performance. Even I, who was skeptical at first, was proud of the work that we had accomplished through our dedication. I felt ashamed for doubting, but also glad that things had gone well. I was also impressed by the humility of others: there were many times of tension and at times things came close to an argument; but even these difficult times were handled with respect, patience, honesty and humility. This image is something that has stuck with me ever since, and brings me to…


II. The Word of God I Received

I wrote and shared my testimony on Luke 5:12-32, and even though it was a rushed piece both while writing it and revising it, the conclusion I came to through it was what I really took away from the conference. For a very, very long time, I’ve been told that I need to realize my identity as a sinner, but I didn’t think much of it. I knew I was a sinner—anyone who has come to Christ (and even some who haven’t) knows they’re sinners. But I don’t feel like one. I mean, sure, I still make mistakes, and when I do I feel guilty at the time, but I keep making the same mistakes over and over again. I know I’m not truly repentant, and the sorry feeling isn’t so much that I’m sorry for doing whatever I did (or didn’t) do, but more sorry that I got caught.

Luke 5:31 says that “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.” Jesus did “not come to call the righteous, but the sinners to repentance.” When I thought about that, it made me realize that that message was not meant for the Pharisees alone; or, to put it a different way, that I was one of those Pharisees.
I know that one of my major issues is pride. I take things way too seriously and get offended easily; I constantly compare myself to others, and am quick to judge or become jealous. I often lash out at others when I am angry and attribute my hardships to things outside of my control, especially when they are, in fact, my fault. I often think of myself as better than others in some way, and I have a very hard time owning up to my mistakes because it makes me feel smaller and weaker than I think I am, and even inferior to other people.

But that was another of the points from this conference that really hit home. In John 21, Jesus is speaking with Peter about his future. When Peter turned and saw John following, “he asked, "Lord, what about him?" 22Jesus answered, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.”” Peter was too worried, at that point, about what would happen to the other disciples as well as him. He wondered if their suffering would be the same, and compared their faiths and their ultimate worldly fates. I knew that I am so much like Peter in this, and is an outward projection of my pride.

I don’t need to worry about what others are doing, or how much or little they grow in their faith. I need to focus on my own relationship and walk with Christ, and this focus is something that I distinctly lack. I am unruly and undisciplined, and worry too much about trivial things. My pride and bullheadedness only causes problems—I make myself miserable and alienate the people around me: even my closest friends and family. I need to let go of that pride and really humble myself before you and before God. Even while I was on vacation a week ago God has been working on my heart and mind and shown me what a self-righteous fool and a burden I have been.

And so my goals for this coming school year are to continue to work on this problem of mine and truly humble myself so that I can do the work of the Lord. I need to be able to defer to authority and Godly advice from my shepherdess, other leaders in the church, and even my peers if I am to be able to truly serve the many students on UT’s campus. I need to realize, truly repent and overcome my sin problems so that God can enter my heart and drastically change me into a model of Christ that others can follow.

One Word: Realize my sin and repent to become a blessing in Christ.