’So many people have rejected God because they think Christianity is just a belief system for people that need some kind of spiritual comfort,’ says Kate Orson reflecting on the response to Stephanie Rice giving God glory for her blessings in life. She says we need to work on translating Jesus to those people, so they don’t discard him.
The Olympic swimming gold medalist Stephanie Rice has given her life to Jesus. While Christians are rejoicing that a high-profile figure has come into the fold, non-believers are not so happy. Her fans seem to be concerned with some commenting on her Instagram with their concerns and saying she doesn’t need God, but therapy. Trolls see her as an ‘attention-seeking drama Queen.’
In a brave Instagram post Rice shared her conversion story. She describes how ‘the few weeks before turning to God were my lowest yet. I can’t tell you how broken I was.
’Getting Covid, feeling defeated after getting injured in SAS..I’ve gone through tough times before…but this was different…it was a loss of faith, of hope, and feeling like no matter how hard I tried or how many personal development books I read or how much I tried to manifest, nothing good seemed to last.
’That’s when I knew I had to do something different and I had to surrender it all to God. He saved me. He is putting all the pieces back together again in the most beautiful way. At times it’s painful, but I know it will be beautiful. God has already blessed my life so richly and I’m excited to see where He takes me next.’
Many of Rice’s non-believer followers have interpreted her conversion as giving credit to an imaginary God for her fresh start, rather than herself.
Many of Rice’s non-believer followers have interpreted her conversion as giving credit to an imaginary God for her fresh start, rather than herself. One fan said, ‘you did it all yourself Steph, don’t give credit to such deities.’ Another said, ‘It was you, believe in yourself.’
As the apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians, ‘the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.’
Rice, like many believers, found God when she was at her lowest, so to an outsider it may look like in a moment of weakness they need to believe in a deity. But to those who have walked the path, from unbelief to belief her story reads differently.
Rice, like many believers, found God when she was at her lowest, so to an outsider it may look like in a moment of weakness they need to believe in a deity.
I can relate to Stephanie’s words. Before coming to Christ I followed New Age spirituality and read many personal development books. I know all too well that feeling of searching, and not quite finding what you are looking for.
The difference for me is that I didn’t find God at a major low point. I had been lulled into a false sense of spiritual comfort by New Age teachings. I was reasonably happy, and it wasn’t needing emotional help that led me to God. It was wanting to find spiritual truth.
Reading the comments made me reflect on how we as Christians have work to do, to share the Gospel, and learn as much as we can about the factual evidence for Jesus’s life, death and resurrection to talk with others.
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So many people have rejected God because they think Christianity is just a belief system for people that need some kind of spiritual comfort. A friend once said to me, ‘’I’m happy with my life, I don’t need God.’’
Last week she wrote on her Instagram: ‘God has done amazing things in me these past five months…and my gosh has he blessed me. Its a been-super tough time, but I kept surrendering and relinquishing control.’
Lets pray for Stephanie Rice, that she be strengthened against the haters, and the persecution that inevitably comes in the life of a Christian. And let’s pray for all her followers, that they might hear the Gospel on her posts, and perceive it not as folly but truth.
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