Highlight Testimony: Bethany Johnson

I wish someone would have told me how important it is to have my own personal relationship with God...searching Him out, seeking and loving Him for myself, instead of relying on the faith of my parents. 

I was born and raised sitting in the pews of the church. I was privileged to have a father with a strong faith. I was taught that prayer changes things. I even learned how prayer can be used to fight my battles. My dad trained me up in God's Word to understand keys to overcoming. I thought I knew the Lord.

Throughout my teen years I was known as the "nice Christian girl." And, although I lived a disciplined and respectable life, I was honestly living a mediocre Christian life. I believed my church attendance, service on the worship team, and volunteering in Sunday School made me a Christian. As well as, my personal choices to not drink, smoke, party and keep myself pure.

My self-righteousness would deceive me.

Soon, I was off to college determined, in my own strength, to be that "nice Christian girl". After a few short months, I fell prey to the world of sin being offered to me on campus. For four years, I was in bondage to my sin and shame while secretly battling an identity crisis of spirit, soul, body and mind. My sin opened doors of distortion in my thinking about body image, as well as, my view of love. I began willfully rejecting God and would shut out His voice.

He never stopped pursuing me and reminding me in whispers that He is the answer to every issue of my life. In my weakness, filth, guilt and shame, I continued to resist His love, grace, and forgiveness. In fact, I distanced myself further from Him.

Each summer, I would return home oppressed by the guilt, grief, and secrets I kept hidden within me- especially in the face of my father. I'd find myself repenting and promising God that I would do better and try harder, only to return to college and do it all over again.

After four years of this cycle, I finally graduated from college. At that time, my heart was still dismissive of God's love in the whispers, so God got my full attention when I saw the moon turn blood red. I knew this was a sign that Jesus is returning. This warning quickened my spirit with a godly fear, knowing that I was not ready for His return. That same week, oddly, Christian content kept popping up on my TikTok feed. This was far from normal and as I pondered the messages, the hardness of my heart broke before the Lord. I received a direct revelation of God's love and His great grace towards me. I cried out to God from my bedroom floor and He heard my voice. He infused me with His love. That night I said, "Yes to Jesus" and I haven't looked back since.

My faith journey continues upward, as God is faithful. My various trials, imperfections and weakness, I now submit to Him in exchange for His all-sufficient grace. He has never left me, nor forsaken me. I am now fully committed to Him and I want to live boldly for Him to share His love and advance His Kingdom. The gifts and talents He's given me, I want to use to bring Glory to His Name!

And MORE...I did make it a point to search God out for myself and discovered Him to be merciful, just, loving, gracious, patient and faithful to keep His promises. In the process, He renewed my mind and did some much needed heart surgery- redefining what real love is...His sacrifice on the Cross.

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." 2Cor.12:9