Accepting God’s Grace

Mina said she has believed in God for a long time—but she wasn’t sure she was “good enough” to follow Christ.

Mina lives in Japan, which is sometimes called “the land of 8 million gods.” In this country of around 127 million people, less than one percent of the population is Christian. The likelihood that Mina was born into a Christian family in Japan was slim—but she was.

Mina’s grandfather chose to be baptized after learning about Jesus from a missionary. Over time, his daughter—Mina’s mother—became a Christian too. Her faith was important to her. Mina’s family prayed together, read Scripture together, and attended worship and other church events.

“God was the norm,” said Mina. “But I didn't feel very close to becoming a Christian and following God. . . . I wasn't confident of living as a Christian and was hesitant to be baptized.”

Exploring faith remained a huge part of Mina’s life. She attended worship and other church activities, such as youth retreats, but she was still unsure. While she felt pressure from her family to be baptized, she knew she needed it to be her decision.

That’s what Resonate missionaries Jeong and MiSook Gho found so compelling about Mina.

“She’s intentional,” said Jeong. “She wants to know what she believes and why—and to really have the decision be her decision.”

Jeong and MiSook met Mina six years ago while Mina’s mother was attending a Discover Your Bible training close to the family’s house. Jeong also preached at the family’s church once a month.

Over the years the Ghos watched Mina grow physically into a young adult. They also watched her grow more curious about the gospel. Mina asked Jeong and MiSook many questions about God, the Bible, and Christianity. They asked her questions too.

“I tried to answer as much as possible, but I really wanted her to think through questions for herself too,” said Jeong.

As Mina learned more about God’s love, mercy, and grace, she came not only to understand that she didn’t need to live perfectly in order to follow Christ—she also began to believe it. She accepted God’s grace and was recently baptized!

“Christians are not perfect, and that is why God comes and walks together [with us],” she said.