Shaniece Wauchope turns to God – Part II
Published:Sunday | October 11, 2020 | 12:06 AM
Using her story of how she overcame sexual perverseness to inspire many, Shaniece Wauchope is pursuing her heart’s mission to help those who have ‘fallen from grace’ find their way back to glory.
Sharing that she has a call on her life to minister to backsliders, the woman of God told Family and Religion that she is very passionate about souls for Christ and is touched by the way in which those who have wandered away from the fold are treated by the church they once called home.
“It breaks my heart to see how backsliders are treated with scorn and contempt by the church after they’ve lost their way. The truth is, no one is above backsliding … it can happen to anyone.
Nobody marks their calendar and say they’re going to backside next Tuesday. People backslide for different reasons. I think it would be more profitable for us as a church if we seek to find out why these folks backslide and help them to get back on track rather than judge them and allow them to feel like God wants nothing to do with them.
“I know God is calling backsliders back to Himself. Many people have shared their desire with me to return to the faith, but the one thing they all have in common is that they don’t know how,” she said, adding that many have shared with her their desires to return to the faith, and also their fear of doing so.
Idea for third book
It was after one such conversation that Wauchope got the idea for her third book, Finding your way back to God: Your Journey to Restoration.
“I believe God has called me in this season to minister to backsliders and to help them manoeuvre their way back to Him. The book expresses the heart of God for backsliders.
‘Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you ...’ Jeremiah 3:14.
Backsliders often think: ‘God doesn’t love me, He doesn’t want anything to do with me’. That’s a lie from the pit of hell. I draw on many scriptural references that show how God restored people to Himself, and God is not partial, He will do the same for you,” she encouraged.
The young author and Christian wellness coach shared that the book prepares the minds of those seeking to return to Christ and shares tips on how to remain a part of the family of God.
According to her, “Things such as trying to fix yourself up before you come to God. I also set the correct expectations for when a saint returns to God as I find that when we minister to the unsaved, we don’t prepare them properly, they think everything will be smooth sailing, and that couldn’t be further from the truth. Finally, I provide tips on how to build a firm relationship with
God and how to maintain it, so that they remain grounded but also grow into purpose. The book also ministers to people in the church who are wavering in their faith and living a double life. God is also calling such persons back to Himself.”
Wauchoupe’s content was inspired by her real-life experiences as a backslider, which she described as someone who has turned away from following after God, and have returned to pursuing the desires of their flesh.
“As a former backslider, the principles I share in this book are principles I wish I knew nine years ago when I returned to the faith. I would’ve been a more impactful Christian.
Just answer the call to return home. Don’t try to fix yourself up before you come back to God, it’s not possible. God will accept you as you are and clean up your mess,” she said.