AYRI- My Re-Baptism 31-Mar-2019

for all of you who were baptised into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. Galatians 3:27 (NIV)

To wrap up the first quarter of 2019 I was re-baptised on 31st, March, 2019.

Why I Chose to Be Re-Baptised

I was baptised in 2010 (just over 8 years ago), however, when I did it, it was from a place of fear. I felt that God was angry that I professed to be a Christian but I didn’t get baptised (a story for another time). I, therefore, went ahead and did it but from a perspective of checking off a requirement so that God would not be angry with me.

Now looking back, I realise just how little I understood about God and His amazing love for me. I’m so blessed in these last few years that I have developed my relationship with God, growing closer to Him and better understanding His love.

This growth in God is one of the main reasons that I signed up to be re-baptised. I recognised that the knowledge of God’s love had travelled from my head to my heart. Therefore this time, having experienced God’s love in tangible ways in my life, this baptism was from a place of freedom and joy and that’s what I really wanted to celebrate with God.

God Surprises

As God loves to throw in some bonuses, here are some of the surprises He blessed me with:

• Re-Baptism Location: I was originally supposed to be re-baptised at a different beach however, a few hours before, it was announced that the baptism location had been changed. I, therefore, had the blessing of being re-baptised at the same beach where I had originally been baptised 8 years ago. It was the same location but such a different perspective internally.
• The number 8: As I mentioned, this re-baptism was 8 years after my original one. In the Bible, the number 8 is associated with new beginnings. Baptism itself is a physical representation of the new beginning we have when we become a Christian. The symbolism and timing were particularly special to me. Also, 8 is one of my favourite numbers personally.

8 Things I have Learnt 8 Years On

I thought it would be fun to share 8 things I’ve learnt over these past 8 years between baptisms. Although I try to list them as separate points, they really are all interconnected:

1 Relationships Matter

I’m an introvert and often tend to be a loner. However, I deeply appreciate and treasure the relationships with which God has blessed me. I get to give love, support, encouragement, advice and more to those in my circles but I also receive the same.

With regards to this re-baptism, although it was for mostly personal reasons, I was blessed by the presence of those who attended as well as those who were unable to make it but reached out to show their support.

2 Forever Changed by God’s Love

I touched on this earlier and I know it’s one area that I’ll forever be a student. Rather than write more about this, I decided to share two of my favourite songs that speak about God’s love:

• Reckless Love
• Extravagant

3 Starting with Gratitude

Maintaining a practice of gratitude to God has been crucial in my life these past few years. This is one of the first things I do on waking up each day and helps set the tone for my day.

4 Accepting my Identity

It’s been an amazing journey of discovery as God has been teaching me more about myself and who He has created me to be. We are shaped, for better or worse, by the experiences that we have. It’s been great to dig a little and better understand who God created me to be and how He has uniquely crafted me for the purpose He has set before me. It’s certainly been an adventure characterised by trust.

5 Understanding the Holy Spirit

“The Holy Spirit illuminates the minds of people, makes us yearn for God, and takes spiritual truth and makes it understandable to us.” – Billy Graham

The Holy Spirit was a part of the Trinity that I didn’t know very much about but has become an increasingly significant part of my life as I’ve spent time reading and learning. It’s incredible that we have God with us all the time in the form of the Holy Spirit.

6 A New Perspective on Loneliness

This was an area in which I struggled a lot just over a year ago. However, God brought healing to me in this area and I am better able to handle this with His help.

7. Pursuing Wholeness

This has probably been the most painful aspect but also the most freeing one. In being introspective and open to the Holy Spirit’s leading, I’ve had to work on some difficult areas and although it hurt at the time, it was healthy. It wasn’t pain that harmed me but pain that led to healing.

It’s a work in progress though which also applies to the points I shared above.

8. The Best is Yet To Come

I listed this one 8th on purpose. This is one of the things that I get most excited about. Our God is so good that even as we have fantastic experiences and create treasured memories, we still have so much more ahead for us as we continue to follow Him. We have hope!

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As I wrap up this post, I wanted to mention one other thing. When I shared about the re-baptism with my friend, she told me something that has stuck. The first time is important and a repeat doesn’t negate or take away from the first event. Rather, it serves to strengthen and reinforce the original commitment.

That has certainly been my experience. My original baptism was a public declaration of my faith and even though I didn’t understand a lot, the decision to follow through and be baptised was still good.

This re-baptism though was incredibly special for me and in addition to reaffirming my declaration, it also reflects a commitment that I’ll still be walking out for the rest of my life.

Sunday, 31st March 2019 is a date that is forever seared in my mind. I’m blessed that I had the opportunity to do this again before God and a great church family. I’m excited about the future that God has planned 😀

✞ Are You Really In?