Zoe’s Zeal!

On August 27, 2017 Zoe Yung made the decision to die to her old self, put on her new self and call Jesus “Lord” below are some questions Zoe’s answers about her journey with God.

Q: Why did you become a disciple?

A: After a year and a couple months of studying the bible, things really started to click for me. Throughout the beginning stages of my study, I was seeking out factual information rather than a relationship with God. It was only after a long time that I really understood what it meant to have a relationship with God. Throughout the different character studies, I felt as if the weeks following, I wouldn’t experience any little victories. I thought: I’m reading the bible and trying to do everything right yet I keep sinning and making the mistakes I am trying so hard not to. Eventually, the help of others and many prayers elucidated my desperate need for God.

I always knew the scripture in Romans about how God saved us while we were still sinners and powerless but it hadn’t meant anything to me until that point.

As I continued to seek him out and gain advice from others, I not only needed God, but wanted him. He completes me.

Q: What are some things that impacted you the most on your journey to becoming a Christian?

A: There are many things that impacted me a lot on my journey to become a Christian. Definitely growing up with disciple parents and kids’ kingdom classes were huge for me because it set the stage for the start of everything; having the knowledge of knowing that God is needed in our lives is something that has definitely been engrained in my life for as long as I can remember and it was only when I started really reading the bible and seeking him out that really helped me believe that I needed him. Teen camp was another huge impact on my journey to becoming a Christian. It was my first teen camp in Maine that really sparked the interest and desire to study the bible and it was 2017’s teen camp “Unblinded”, that really solidified it for me.

I always went to church and teen camps knowing that I wanted to become a Christian (disciple) but I felt that my heart wasn’t moving in sync with my mind.

Another uncommon impact on my journey to becoming a Christian was actually the many struggles that I had like pride, laziness, impatience, etc… It was those struggles that really allowed for the word to pierce my heart and allow for God to work within me–it is this that really allowed my heart to catch up with my mind (knowing intellectually that I wanted to be a disciple and then finally wanting it from a heart level). Thirdly, and lastly, the other major impact on my journey was the conversations and quiet times I had with other disciples. My quiet times with other teen disciples at teen camp were immensely helpful as were my times with Kristen Lambert, Priscilla Lombardi, Laly, La Micia, and Jas Fenton. I’d say for the most part, I tried to keep myself an open book during the studies but was selectively closed off about certain things.

It was after being completely transparent that really helped me the most.

Q: In what ways did you see God working during your time seeking God?

A: I often compare myself to Pharaoh (in the Old Testament) in relation to the heart. Just as God hardened Pharaoh’s heart, I felt as if I had hardened my own heart (both consciously and subconsciously) to God. I wanted to have a malleable heart and tried to will myself to have one for the longest time but it was like trying to push against a brick wall with only my hands. I prayed to God that he may soften my heart but in the early stages of my studies, I didn’t really put much into those hopes.

I knew that God had completely changed Saul from a murderer to Paul the amazing apostle who did great works, yet I doubted his ability to soften my heart.

This was one of my biggest struggles. I always try and picture what I’d be like in the future and I could never fathom my heart to be softened so when my heart started to soften like butter,

I knew it was God.

I think it was this long, slow process of me wanting a soft heart but not having one that really increased my awareness of God’s power; I knew God performed many miracles that helped people believe in him but this allowed me to have front row seats to a miracle I thought I’d never witness much less be a part of it.

Q: In what ways did you see God working in your life even before you decided to really start seeking him?

A: My life is very evident, living proof–no pun intended–of God’s existence. From the start, being adopted into a family with Christian parents is definitely from God. I could have been adopted into an atheist family but rather, I was adopted into a family where both parents were disciples. From an early start, God was working in my life. I recall one study in which I told Kristen (not in these exact words), “I feel like I have become apathetic to all the knowledge that I have been given about God, so I kind of wish I grew up as a non disciple because then I wouldn’t have such a hard time believing in the bible and needing supportive scientific evidence to corroborate the bible,” and her telling me something along the lines of,

“Actually, I think God put you in the right place (growing up going to church) because if He didn’t, you probably wouldn’t even believe in the bible at all.”

Q: Do you have any advice for those on the fence in seeking God.

A: One of the most important things is transparency because that is what really helps you have the heart to seek God. This, I say, pray for even if you don’t mean it or believe in it because one day you will find that you will.

Video of Zoe’s Baptism here

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