Tag: Spiritualawakening

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David’s Truth

by David Baxter

Hello, my name is David Baxter. I was born in 1956 to an interracial couple in the City of Detroit, MI. Growing up amidst the Civil Rights and Black Power Movements while having a Caucasian woman as my mother made my adolescent years extremely challenging. It became clear to me that being fully accepted into the society I lived in was never going to happen. Even excelling athletically (I was the 61st player selected in the 1978 NBA Draft) could not get me over the hump. After a brief professional career, I retired and used drugs and alcohol to mask the pain caused by years of rejection.

In 1984, a high school friend shared his faith in Christ with me and after a few Bible studies, I became a Christian, too, and I was baptized. That suppressed my pain for a while and I served faithfully in my church for 30 years, only to reach a place where I discovered that I had more questions than the church’s teachings had answers. My faith gave way to doubt and my uncertainty in God’s love for me led me to choose the path of the prodigal son, and I ended up going to a proverbial “far country.”

While I was in the “pig pen” expecting God’s wrath to come in whatever form, even illness or death, I waited…and waited…and it was there that I actually discovered His mercy. Whether I stayed in the “miry clay” or returned to “my Father’s house”, He revealed to me that His love has no conditions. That revelation freed me, and I chose to return to my amazing wife and children. My family also embraced me for who I was, a flawed human being. Their capacity to forgive me and love me through my healing as they were going through their own healing processes helped me to see in them something I’d never seen before: the love of God with no conditions.

I now have a newfound hope and renewed purpose and I can say, like God’s servant Job in Job 42:5, “I have heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eyes see you.”
Thank you, Father. Thank you, Renée. I love you.

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Who Do You Say God Is?

Last week, we discussed whether or not God exists. If you don’t believe that God exists, that discussion kind of just ends there lol But for those who do believe that God exists, the next logical question is, “Who do you say God is?”

Again, the answer may seem obvious, but is it? Because the importance of asking that question is less about trying to define who God is and more about setting a foundation for the rest of your ideological framework. Why? Because everything you believe rests on who you believe God to be.

Here’s what we know:
1. Every culture has had a unique experience with what they consider to be some version of a higher power, and that experience is reflected in their religious ideologies.
2. It’s impossible for any one person or group to have a monopoly on knowledge regarding a higher power because we are all limited.
3. Whatever you believe about a higher power should be worth believing in and it should make sense.

Knowing who you believe God to be is imperative for establishing a clear line of reasoning from “point A” (who you say God is) to “point B” (your beliefs regarding your responsibilities to God, yourself, and others) to “point C” (how you interact with the world around you). That might seem pretty straightforward, but it’s super easy for those points to disconnect. For example, it’s easy to say that you believe God is (insert characteristic here), but if your beliefs regarding your responsibilities to God, yourself, and others don’t reflect that… if you’re not representing a God who is (insert characteristic here) in your interactions with the people around you…do you really believe that God is (insert characteristic here)? Or are you saying it because it sounds good while your actions communicate something else?

It’s also important to remember that your mindset about who God is should make sense. Believing that God has qualities that create contradictions within God’s character could create inconsistencies in your belief system . . . which turns into inconsistencies in how you treat people and how you interact with the world around you. Our actions are what give insight into who we are and the beliefs that make us that way and people are going to be turned off from you and your beliefs if they can’t count on you (and whatever God you are representing) to be consistent.

Those are some points to consider as you take some time this week to think about who you believe God is. Who DO you say God is? And what makes you believe that about God? Share your thoughts below!

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Be Bold

by Sarina Campbell

Walking back to my room from the Office of Spiritual Life at Oakwood University was a bit different that day. I had just come from leading our weekly meeting and the cloud that had shown up without invitation seemed to linger. It was a sunny day, but I was feeling heavy and cloudy. The weather outside did not match how I was feeling at all.

Being a ministry leader was rewarding, but it could also get lonely. You’re surrounded by people and encouraging them in their spiritual walks even when you’re not quite sure where you stand at times. A lot is expected of you and part of that expectation involves others assuming how strong your faith is at any given time.

As I got closer to my destination, I startled myself as I suddenly looked up to the sky and blurted out words that terrified me: “Why don’t I believe you love me?!” Even typing that brings me back to that moment. I heard God say, “Thank you,” and I immediately asked, “Why?’, to which He replied, “For being honest.” The conversation ended there, but it was the beginning of a new understanding for me. That exchanged revealed to me that I had become accustomed to showing up to my relationship with Christ in a timid way. I had not been taught to just ask the questions that burned in my mind. And when I felt abandoned, I didn’t let myself really feel it. I didn’t allow myself to acknowledge my uncertainties because I wasn’t “supposed” to be unsure, right? But my conditioning was incorrect.  And the crazy thing was that Scripture didn’t even share that sentiment!

I’ve learned that God isn’t scared of my doubts. God isn’t taken aback by my worries. God isn’t shaken by my fears. God is not rattled by my questions. He’s inviting our faith AND our questions. God wants all of us…all of me. I love how this passage reads in The Message Bible:

“Now that we know what we have—Jesus, this great High Priest with ready access to God—let’s not let it slip through our fingers. We don’t have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He’s been through weakness and testing, experienced it all—all but the sin. So let’s walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help.”

Hebrews 4:14-16 MSG

If you’re reading this, I hope you realize that your questions are not silly or unwanted. I hope you embrace a picture of a God who welcomes your fears and wants to ease your mind. My walk with Jesus is ever-changing, and I’m learning that there is no one “right way” to reach Him, because He’s reaching out for us right where we are. And for that, I’ll always be grateful.


Sarina Campbell is a Business Owner with a youth and young adult ministry background who has a heart for both Jesus and people. Also a wife and mother, she enjoys sharing her thoughts on spirituality, life, entrepreneurship, and love.