FEYISAYO OJUTE

"I made the independent decision to get baptized as a show of obedience and dedication of my life when I was about 15."

Hi, I'm Feyisayo from Nigeria but reside in Cali. I can never answer the question of when I first heard about Jesus since I was raised in a Christian (African…. If you know, you know)  household since about 5 years old. I grew up with church, prayer, and fasting. I grew up not celebrating Halloween. I grew up with bible study, church plays, and praise dancing. So I always knew about Jesus. That also makes it hard for me to pinpoint exactly when I decided I wanted Jesus to be the Lord of my life, because I grew up with the understanding that his lordship was the only way. I can, however, distinctly remember the first time I truly fell in love with the character of the God of the Bible. I was about ten years old, and I was kneeling in my room reading through the book of Proverbs in a Bible that looked about as old as I was. I remember feeling so joyful and excited. The wisdom, insight, and practicality filled me with awe. It was if I had taken a glimpse into the heart of God and saw my ideal self. From that day, even just reading through a portion of Proverbs, I felt the word of God changing me. It was truly alive. What enamored me the most…was that God’s wisdom worked. Even in middle school, when someone would make me angry, in my head the verse ‘A fool shows his annoyance immediately, the wise know how to take an insult’ would ring in my head, and whatever my original/flesh reaction was, would be hindered. Not only was the word clear and practical, it made me better. It made my choices better. It made the way I treated others better. That was, and still is, enough evidence for me. Besides my spiritual experiences, and encounters with the spirit of the Living God, my original encounters with his Living Word were enough for me to know from then on that Jesus’s way was and is the way, and I suppose that is enough to say, despite my imperfections, that makes him the Lord of my life. 

The most salient change that comes from being a Christian (at least for me) is the constant confronting of self. Even if I don’t want to face certain parts of my character (it can be hard to look into the worst parts of oneself) the Holy Spirit won’t leave me alone about it. I may want to pray that day about passing my exams, but the Lord will address my pride, or my doubt, perhaps impatience, lack of service, or my selfishness. One way or another, he will make sure I see myself for what I am. Conviction is challenging. Obedience even more. Until this day I work at surrender and obedience, and I am sure that obedience is a lifestyle that will have to be put into practice every day that I continue to breathe. I pray his grace and mercy will cover us all into perfect obedience. That prayer ties into making Christ the center of my life. I think that comes with being conscious of spending time with God, whether in prayer or the Word, and remembering his character in our day to day lives. The practical decisions we make every day, even those that seem insignificant. The choice to bless instead of curse when someone cuts you off on the road. The choice to give your sibling the last piece of meat from the pot of soup. The choice to forgive someone who used you, demeaned you, neglected you. Choosing to be happy for another person, despite your own lack of progress. Choosing gratitude for a healthy body, even if it's not at your ideal weight yet. The list is infinite. Making Christ the center of my life means making him the center of my decisions, large and small. When I put that into practice, I move towards perfect obedience. These things are all easier said than done, since they are the antithesis of human nature, but thank God his word is alive, with the power to rebuke, uplift, and transform.