This week’s Guest Poster is Sister Sandy Vidro. Thanks, Sandy!
WHAT IS REQUIRED OF US TO BE A CHRISTIAN?
September 21, 2025
Guest Writer: Sandy Vidro
Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.
(Ephesians 5:14)
As a young child—three or four years old—I knew there was something beyond me all around. No one told me that; I just knew it. One day, I was playing in the sand at the end of our driveway when I sensed a presence with me. I could smell it, but when I looked up, nothing was there—just the scent and the feeling of a presence.
That was the first time I met God. God—in the person of the Father, or Jesus His Son, or the Holy Spirit—has been with me, molding me, leading me, protecting me, and loving me ever since.
Yet when I accepted Christ at forty-two and officially became a Christian, I didn’t suddenly know everything I needed to do, even though I already knew God on a personal level. I still didn’t realize I had responsibilities to God beyond believing that Jesus died for my sins, rose on the third day, and ascended into heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father.
I was a slow learner, even though He had been knocking at the door of my heart for years. Over the past few years, I have been stepping out of my comfort zone and putting my faith into action. Becoming a Christian did not lift a curtain and show me the path all at once. It took years of study and experience to understand what is required of me as a follower of Christ according to the Bible. I am still constantly learning and adjusting my mindset and direction.
The Bible teaches us many things about how past generations handled life: actions and consequences, beliefs and traditions, stories that give examples of how we should live, the direct instructions of Jesus, prophecies, and so much more. Becoming a Christian means delving daily into the Word and learning what is expected of us. Go to Bible studies. Join small groups at church. Get to know as many people as you can in your church family. Be there for one another. Laugh and cry together. But don’t attend church faithfully each Sunday and simply sit there—do not be a pew potato and expect God to greet you with “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Jesus died for each one of us. What do we give back to Him, and how do we show our love for Him?
One passage that especially convinced me of the Bible’s truth is Isaiah, written centuries before Jesus. Isaiah describes in detail the suffering of the servant, who is Jesus. Read Isaiah 50:6–7 and Isaiah 52:13–53:8, and then go forward about seven hundred years to John 19:31–37. This is one of the greatest examples of the many prophecies in Scripture.
No wonder the Bible remains the best-selling book of all time.
Takeaway
Faith is not a one-time decision but a lifelong journey of learning, growing, and giving back to the One who gave everything for us.
Closing Prayer
Lord Jesus, thank You for calling me out of sleep and into Your light. Help me to keep learning, serving, and showing Your love in action each day. Amen.
Be blessed with the love of Jesus.
Your sister in Christ, Sandy Vidro
