Impact of Discipleship: Angel Peguese
/“I became accustomed to shutting myself away”
Discipleship changed my life in unspeakable ways. God allowed my walls to be torn down so I could be built up again. Not unto my emotional defenses, but upon his word and fellowship with like-minded believers.
All of my life, I have lived in an abusive household, encompassing both physical and sexual abuse from my father figure. I became accustomed to shutting myself away for my protection. I would spend every moment of my days at home locked in my room, including mealtimes.
“The ways these women poured their time, love, and the word into me were unlike any other.”
Shortly after starting high school, I encountered a young faithful believer from MBT, and we quickly became tremendously close friends. I can vividly recall her casually speaking of the things of the Bible, which, needless to say, isn’t the norm for the typical high school freshman. Immediately, I was impressed with her vast knowledge of the Bible and immovable faith in Christ. She was faithful to invest the word of Christ into my life, and although I had heard the name of Jesus Christ before, the idea of reading his word for myself had never been introduced to me until that point.
After a couple months of genuine friendship and one-on-one Bible studies, she challenged me to consider the price that Jesus Christ paid for my sins on the cross. I accepted salvation and accompanied her and her family to church twice a week for years to come. That family not only was a beautiful example of a biblical family unit but was also instrumental in planting the seed of the gospel in my life.
Mark 4:26-27 And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; And should sleep, and arise night and day, and the seed should spring up and grow up, he knoweth not how.
Soon after, I plugged into the MBT student ministry and was paired with Micah Kelly for mentorship. I was profoundly grateful for my time in mentorship with Micah. The Lord used her gentle correction mightily in my life on many occasions. Micah was faithful to make time for me despite any circumstance and consistently showed me Christ-like sacrificial love. She taught me so much about unconditional faith in trying circumstances and accountability in my time walking alongside her.
About a year later, God graciously paired me with Julie Sidebottom and Micah for discipleship. Early on into discipleship, Julie found a safe place for me to live with like-minded believers; I thank the Lord every day for such a blessing. The ways these women poured their time, love, and the word into me were unlike any other.
The lessons discussing other Christians and family were the most impactful for me at that point in my life. As aforementioned, my home life before discipleship was extremely destructive and discouraging. While working through these lessons, the Lord utilized Julie and Micah to demonstrate how families are to function biblically as it applies both to physical families and the church fellowship. Parents are to be compassionate to their children; children are to be obedient; husbands should love their wives as Christ loves the church; and wives are to be a helpmeet. The human family is a picture of God’s family, and to love each other rightly, we must be in fellowship with one another.
“I can lower the walls that I built and grow in fellowship ”
Ephesians 3:14-15 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
Post discipleship, I am capable of biblically discerning my emotional defenses. I can lower the walls that I built and grow in fellowship with my brothers and sisters in Christ. Most important of all, I can share the family I have in the body of Christ and the perfect, unconditional love that I have in God the Father.
Romans 8:39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Angel is a member of Midtown Baptist Temple and is a part of C&YA. She is in the Midtown women’s bible study and serves in Kidtown.