Delaney's Testimony

I grew up in a typical Christian household. We went to church every Sunday, and by the time I was seven, I had already accepted Jesus into my heart. Without truly knowing what that meant, I spent my childhood blissfully unaware of what it meant to pursue a relationship with Jesus. I knew who he was and what he had done for us, but that was the extent of my knowledge.

As I got older and ventured into middle school, I became involved in Wyldlife as well as my church youth group. Both groups were fun but I was more interested in my social experience than my spiritual experience. I began experiencing true temptations for the first time in my life, and it was easy to give in to the desire to sin. I knew it was wrong, but nothing was stopping me.

When I went to high school, I continued in my involvement in Young Life and eventually became a student leader. This is where my desire to have a relationship with God took root. I tried to understand how to grow in my spiritual journey, but I was continuously giving into sin; I thought that I had to be sinless to have a relationship with God. I beat myself up if I sinned and I felt broken and unworthy. I wasn’t partying or drinking, but my temptations were more hidden—I had figured out the dangers of the internet a long time ago and was still powerless to resist it. My earthly lust took precedence over my Heavenly Father. I thought I was a horrible person, and I also thought that to be a “good” Christian, I had to rid myself of my own sins first.

My first year of college I went to UNC Chapel Hill. That first year led me into a downwards spiral both emotionally and physically. I became depressed, and besides having physical health issues, I rarely left bed and constantly put my own desires over God’s. I was the unhealthiest I’ve ever been, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I felt alone and misunderstood.

But even in those dark times I felt the whisper of the Holy Spirit in my ear, drawing me closer to God. I had a group of friends my senior year of high school and my freshman year of college that I loved dearly, but I was pulling away from the Lord in favor of spending time with them. I was choosing sin with my friends over a life with God. When I was no longer friends with them, I began to see the ways God was shaping me and how he was using my experiences for my benefit. I began to rely on him and to seek a relationship with him. He showed me what my path was.

After my first year of college, I took the next year off dead set on returning to UNC the next year. But God works in mysterious ways, as I learned. I got a job, settled into a routine, and was diagnosed with ADHD, which explained a lot about my first year at college. I began leading Young Life at my old high school, and I was slowly growing in my faith. I saw how the Lord had worked in my life and how he led me to this place for my good. Eventually I decided to transfer to Appalachian State University and pursue my passion, a decision that came from none other than God. He changed my heart and showed me the path he has destined for me.

Along the way, I realized that it was okay to be imperfect. I would never be perfect—only Jesus Christ was, and is, sinless. It didn’t matter how many times I slipped and fell into sin; what mattered was where I went after that. Would I let the temptations of the evil one pull me into darkness, or would I turn to the Lord for guidance and eternal life? I had to accept the truth that I would never be free from sin or temptation, but I was still worthy and loved in my Father’s eyes. I transferred to App and saw with clear eyes for the first time: this is where God wanted me to be. He showed me that in many ways—my wonderful friends, my classes, my love for Boone, and most importantly through his faithfulness and love for me, even when I chose myself instead of him. My first semester was filled with slip ups and challenges of faith, but all my struggles brought me closer to the Lord, and closer to my wonderful friends, who uplift me and guide me spiritually. God has taught me that I can’t do anything on my own—only by his power and grace am I redeemed. I will never be perfect, and I will never be free from sin or temptation, but I am fearfully and wonderfully made, and I am worthy of Him. So I continue to seek Him in all I do, and I continue to choose Him. I have surrendered my life to the Creator of life itself, and it is the best decision I ever made.

John 16:33 "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."