My name is Chester, and I am currently a lecturer at ITE. I was born into a Christian family and have been part of church life for as long as I can remember. From a young age, I attended Sunday school, listened to Bible stories, and grew up surrounded by fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Because of that, faith was always present in my life. However, even though I grew up in church, I never truly felt ready to take the step of baptism, even as my peers went ahead before me one by one.
For many years, I struggled with my faith. I knew the stories of the Bible and understood what it meant to be a Christian intellectually, but I often felt that my heart was not fully there yet, if that makes any sense. I would see other believers who seemed confident in their faith, and I wondered if I had reached that point myself. I kept telling myself that one day, when I was more spiritually mature or when my faith felt stronger, then I would be ready to be baptized.
In retrospect, I realize that this way of thinking kept me waiting for a kind of readiness that might never come. Deep down, I knew that my relationship with God required more than simply growing up in a Christian environment. I knew that I needed to draw closer to Him personally and intentionally.
For the longest time, I believed that baptism should only happen when I felt completely prepared. But the more I prayed and reflected, the more I sensed that God was teaching me something important. I began to realize that baptism is not about reaching a point of perfection or having everything figured out – quite the contrary. It is precisely because we are not fully ready that we take this step of faith.
In my daily life, I have also begun to notice God in small and meaningful ways. Sometimes it is in the quiet moments during the day when I pause to say a short prayer. At other times, it is through my work as a lecturer, where I try to live in a way that reflects Christ to the people/students around me. I may not always have the right words, but I hope that through my actions and character, I can be a testimony of God’s presence in my life.
At the start of this year, I felt God placing a strong desire in my heart to enter a season of surrender. I realized that I did not want to keep holding parts of my life back from Him. Instead, I wanted to trust Him more fully. For me, baptism represents and confirms this season of surrender. It is a way of saying that my life belongs to God, and that I want to continue walking with Him.
Recently, I came across a Genesis 3, while looking up other classic Bible stories, after Adam and Eve had sinned, God asked Adam a simple question: “Where are you?” When I read that, it resonated with me in a powerful way. It reminded me that God seeks His children and calls them back to Him.
That question felt personal to me, as if God was asking the same thing. Your son is here.
Thank you for allowing me to share my testimony.
