I’ve said yes to Jesus. Now what?

“Does this change the way I view my parents’ marriage?”

“Do I have to stop going to parties?”

“Do I have to set boundaries with my boyfriend?”

“Do I have to quit drinking and vaping?”

“Are my political opinions going to change?”

These are all questions that I asked myself almost immediately after I said yes to Jesus in January of 2021. I was only 15 years old, and one night after a youth group in my youth pastor’s car, I finally made the decision to put my trust in Jesus. It’s a story that I reference all the time when telling my testimony or talking about my relationship with Cherish founder, April. 

But after that night, that part was more complicated. 

Quickly after coming to faith, I entered a dating relationship without a mature understanding of the importance of both physical and emotional boundaries in dating. At the same time, April, the woman who had been discipling me, moved to Texas shortly after I came to faith. Within six months of her leaving, my youth group’s student leadership team, which had been made up of around 30 of my closest friends and community, dwindled to just 4. I was left without an in-person spiritual mentor or community. 

All of these changes made me feel like I was trying to swim toward the shore while the tide pulled me in a different direction. After a while, I grew tired of treading water and trying to be stronger than the tide. So, I started swimming with the tide, intending to turn around and head toward the shore once the tide had calmed down.

Fast forward about a year, and the tide still hadn’t calmed down. 

By the middle of my senior year, I realized that the tide was never going to calm down.

There will always be another party, another boy on Snapchat, another temptation. I realized that our circumstances are never going to perfectly align with our desire to follow Jesus and trust in Him with our life. 

If you’re reading this and thinking, ‘I’ll get serious about my faith after I graduate high school, or college, or after my boyfriend and I break up,” I urge you to reconsider. As someone who found false comfort in that mindset, I strongly encourage you to change it.

Even if we think we know what’s best for us and our timeline, the truth is that there will never be a ‘perfect time’ to follow Jesus. No matter your age, where you live, or what stage of life you’re in, following Jesus will always be counter-cultural. It will require discipline, sacrifice, self-forgetfulness, and surrender — 

but it will be the greatest decision you’ve ever made.

I’ve never found fulfillment and purpose as great as being all-in for Jesus. Even though I have full confidence in this now, I look back at that 15-year-old girl with all her questions and truly empathize with her. It’s easy for me to say now that following Jesus is worth it — but when you first make that decision (and if you’ve made it, you know what I mean), it can feel confusing and very overwhelming.

I had so many big and difficult questions, and I was honestly scared and anxious about how much my life was going to change. The way I had always done things, thought about things, and planned for things was going completely out the window!

All of these questions, doubts and fears I had sent my mind into a frenzy that just made me want to give up. However, I realized that I started to become overwhelmed when I was trying to understand the what before I understood the why.

To the girl navigating her relationship with Jesus and feeling overwhelmed – 

Look to Jesus. Learn about who He is and what He did on the cross. Discover God’s heart for the world and His people. Focus on understanding Him before trying to solve all the big questions that seem impossible to grasp right now. I promise that once you fall in love with Jesus and know Him intimately, the puzzle pieces will begin to fall into place.

Surround yourself with people who are also navigating life with Jesus. These friends will make the tough days much easier. Find mentors who will encourage you to walk in obedience to God’s Word.

My earnest prayer for you is that you will experience the abundant and fulfilling life that walking with Jesus brings. He is calling you — all you have to do now is answer! 

♡ Marisol