Up until about two weeks ago, I had been completely lost in life and in myself. I became obsessed with material objects and felt like I didn’t know where I belonged or who I was. I became lukewarm. As the Bible states in Revelation 3:16, “So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.” I knew that I loved God and Jesus, but I didn’t show it. I knew that I cared about God, but I didn’t care enough. 

Lately, I have been spending most of my time on TikTok, where God reached out to me. A couple of weeks ago, out of the blue, my For You Page was flooded with TikToks about God and the Bible. I listened to them and eventually I came across one that said that God will reach out in many ways, including TikTok. That changed my life. I felt this need to give myself to God to serve Him and act like Him. I realized that I had stopped living for God and had started living for the world. I wanted to be like everyone else, I stressed over every little thing, I tried to please everyone else, yet I was never trying to please God. I never wanted people to think I was weird or to make fun of me, so I started acting like them. John 15:18 states, “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.” I heard this verse from many of the TikToks I saw and started to understand deeply that any person who is living for God won’t always be liked or accepted by a lot of people. I found out that I don’t need anyone else’s assurance but God’s. 

So, I started to read the Bible more and talk to God more. I felt the weight physically lift off my shoulders when I fully gave myself to Him. I now know that life on Earth is temporary, but my spiritual life is never ending. So, though one may see it as suffering on Earth to live for God by not doing things that other people are doing, such as partying, drugs, and much more, it will be worth it to spend eternity with Jesus in Heaven. 

My eyes have been opened up so much by the Bible. By reading the Bible and growing my connection with God, I have realized that I need to do my part to spread His message and to defend His name. Without realizing the severity of it, I have allowed for people to mock Him and to disrespect Him to my face. I have allowed for people to make fun of the Bible or make fun of me for reading the Bible and not said anything. I am too focused on other people’s feelings and trying to be sensitive to other people and their beliefs than to put God first. A lot of the time I lose my voice and become scared that someone won’t be friends with me. But, now I know that if a person is disrespecting God, they are lost or they aren’t a true friend. I still ultimately struggle with putting myself out there and spreading the Gospel, but I hope that I can stand up for God the next time and the time after that and the time after that if someone tries to mock Him again. 

After creating this new, amazing relationship with God, I have become less stressed and more giving. I have realized that the things on earth that I thought mattered a lot, such as money and being the best student or the best athlete, etc., doesn’t make my life any more spiritually valuable. I have taken less of an interest in objects and more of an interest in God. I am no longer lukewarm. I have been sinning less and listening to God more. Other people are also impacted by God, and after being asked about how her relationship with God has changed her life, Jean Jones explains, “It’s given me peace and knowledge that whatever happens is in God’s hands, and I don’t have to worry about it.” Though I still sin like every human, I know that Jesus died for our sins, and I feel safe in my connection with Him by respecting Him and talking to Him. My life has never been better and all that glory goes to God.