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Vidia's Story


I had always thought that a testimony was about someone bad turning into a good person once they knew Jesus. So I thought I wouldn’t have much to say about my own testimony as I had always been a “good” girl. Little did I know that I was blinded by the worldly standard of “good”.

I was born in a non-Christian household. God worked amazingly through my sister who went to China (a country where claiming to be Christian comes with challenges) and came to know Christ there. When she came back to Indonesia, she introduced Christianity to me. Though I was only about 11 at the time, it wasn’t hard for me to believe in the Christian doctrines which were a popular yet unfamiliar idea for me then. I started going to church and spent time listening to my sister speak about Jesus Christ, our Lord, Savior and Friend. I remember an emotional night when I accepted Him as the savior of my life.

My conversion was the last thing my dad ever thought would happen to me. He was one of the senior members in the religious committee of my school. The conversion of his two daughters was a shock, which caused lots of arguments. Dad would even run after me and my sister so he could stop us from going to church. Sundays were always intense, full of chasing, arguments and tensions, but I guess those made me appreciate and cherish every single time I could go to church. My struggle at school was also challenging. I would be called by the school principle and some teachers to be confronted about my decision to be Christian. Facing oppositions from my dad and the school about my conversion, I felt God sustaining me the whole time. I was able to stay strong and stand up for my faith.

Fast forwarding the story, I was an exchange student in Canada during my last year of university. Though short, it was the turning point of my walk with Christ. The people I met and the community I was involved in, opened my eyes on what it meant to be a real Christian. My family and I have been struggling with finances and health, so I used to think that a good Christian would eventually live comfortably and a picture-perfect life, as the “reward” of doing what God said. I had not realized that I was unconsciously self-centered and was not fully aware of my life purpose. With the help of my new Christian brothers and sisters and God’s guidance, I learned that life was about Him only, and to follow Him was to take up our cross, until we were reunited with Him eternally. Life hardships and challenges are one of God's ways to mold us to be more Christ-like. In fact, I should be thankful for them as they open my eyes wide on how ugly and corrupt I can be, in comparison to God who is LOVE and almighty. The pain and struggle are reminders that this is not our home. 
    
I really don't want to sound like I've got Christianity all figured out. Because I haven't. I fail and stumble, a lot. And in the process of living a Christ-centered life, I'm always thankful for His grace that He's saved me who's not always faithful to Him, for His love that was proven on the Cross though He was sinless, and for His mercy that endures forever. My constant prayer is to be committed and disciplined in pursuing Him through everything I do. This blog is both a self-reminder and a tool to empower any one of you. Let's keep running this life race with eternity in mind!