All In

Originally posted on Fruitofmybranches.com

One minute I’m encouraging others to do it, the next I’m buried in water…I spontaneously got baptized around this time last year. It wasn’t my first time. My first was at an age too young to remember why I did it. This time was different. I knew exactly why. I actually had been watching others do it for months, while secretly admiring their boldness. I wasn’t sure when I would muster up the courage to do it myself. I just knew God had done some amazing things in my heart and I wanted to publicly profess my love for Him. I’m not the “all eyes on me” type of person (and my church is kinda big), so, although I had a burning desire to do it, it terrified me at the same time. When I stepped into that pool, dressed in my work clothes, I was telling God that I’m desperate for You and I can’t wait any longer. As I descended in the spontaneous waters, I took my fears with me, but when I came back up, I had no idea that I left them behind. And, so started the decomposition of the old me…

So, Why Get Baptized?

What did I mean when I said, “so started the decomposition of the old me”? How is it that water can do that? Well, it can’t. It’s more about the heart that enters that water than the water the heart enters. Baptism is a symbol of what happens when we truly believe in Jesus and accept Him as our Lord and Savior. When we invite Jesus into our hearts, our old spirit dies and a new one is born in its place, hence “born again.” Baptism is giving your old self a proper burial, as one of the Pastors at my church says.

Soooo, if I’ve been “born again” for years, and I have, why did the “decomposition process” start just last year when I got baptized for the 2nd time? I’ve always believed in Jesus since day one, but there were parts of me I wasn’t ready to give Him, and quite frankly, I didn’t know how. My spirit was new and in fellowship with Jesus, but my mind was un-renewed in so many ways. Although Jesus took care of my spirit, my mind was mine – it’s my job to renew my mind with the Word (Romans 12:1-2).

My mind still needs to be renewed daily with the “water of the Word” (just think of how important it is to wash your physical body daily), but last year my mind was so different that I wanted to “go under” again and submerge everything this time. I really wanted to surrender all, my heart and my mind. My old mindsets were buried the second go ‘round, and it’s been a beautiful blessing to watch them decompose, break down, and rot in the presence of God.

P.S. – Baptism is also a public proclamation of your love for Jesus. It’s almost like the wedding day for a bride and groom. The wedding ceremony is an outward expression of what already happened privately when the couple signed the marriage certificate with the minister. **G.I.G.**