Jeffrey Wu
When I was in China, we were taught in public school that God doesn't exist. In my younger years, I tended to believe this teaching, but by the time I was a college student, I began to reconsider. "Does God possibly exist, after all?" I wondered if the universe was the result of some random process or the creation of an intelligent person.
When I came to America several years ago to pursue a Ph.D., I met two Christian men, an American and a Mainland Chinese. I asked them many questions about Christianity, and they gave good answers. From that time, I began to read the Bible and Christian study books.
My first conclusion from reading was that the teachings of the Bible are really impressive. For example, Jesus teaches us to "love your neighbor as yourself." Also, the Bible teaches that everyone in the Christian family is important and that we should work together rather than be jealous of each other's merits. I realized that if all people could follow this kind of teaching, the world would be a wonderful place.
My second conclusion was that Jesus must have been God rather than merely a man. I felt that, otherwise, he could not have given such powerful teachings, and influenced so many people in just three years of active ministry. Further, I was impressed by the fact that Jesus did the things He taught.
One day, several years ago, I was sitting in a restaurant with my American Christian friend, and we were talking about these things. I finally decided I wanted to be a Christian, and I prayed something like this, "Lord Jesus, thank you for dying for my sin. Please forgive my sins. Please come into my heart and live within me and direct my life."
I now feel that life is more hopeful and more peaceful. Why? Because God is with me, and He gives me strength, encouragement and peace. Before I became a Christian, I often wondered about the meaning of life. Sometimes this made me worry, and sometimes it made me depressed.
Also, I can now get along with people better than I used to. I suppose this is a result of studying the Bible and following the teachings of the Bible.
All of this has been a big change. It may not look so drastic to others, but I know how big this change has been. My office-mate and a fellow student have both noticed this change, even though neither of them are yet Christians. (In fact, they sometimes tease me about attending Christian activities.) There are many sports and entertainment opportunities on the campus, but I give priority to Christian activities. To me, along with God's love comes responsibility to serve God.
I hope that more Chinese will become Christians so that they can enjoy life more and be assured of eternal life. I recently talked to a fellow Chinese who would like to become a Christian but is afraid of possible persecution when he returns. I encouraged him to trust in Jesus--something I would never have said a few years ago.
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