How God Saved My Life
My story goes like many others, but I believe that mine is unique in its own special way. I was born into a Christian household with my mother taking me and my two siblings to church every Sunday. She ensured that we were active members of the church and that we knew the foundation of our lives which is Jesus Christ. At a young age, I knew I believed in Jesus but I didn't know who Jesus truly was. I lived my life this way up until the age of 14. Before then I sought to fill the void in my heart with various things; Pornography, music, books and the list goes on. I felt this indescribable emptiness in my heart and the problem was that I couldn't locate its source. This toxic behaviour persisted for years and gradually my spirit became heavy with sadness and anxiety. I was afraid of dying and even though I professed Christ I was uncertain of where my final resting place would be. My life didn't change overnight and I'll be honest about that. Over time, God began to speak to me with a still small voice. His voice wasn't always audible but knowing the beautiful nature of God, He spoke to me in small significant ways. I questioned whether or not my actions were glorifying God or my flesh. I began to see the sin behind my actions and saw how they had widened the gap between me and my loving Saviour. I saw that the void in my heart couldn't be filled with worldly things and passions and realized that only God could fill that. I had come to a point in my life where I was tired of my lifestyle and at 14 I began to seek the face of God. Seeking him came in the form of reading my bible every day after school and immersing myself in worship music and prayer. Beautifully, the desires I had to sin faded away over time, and the thought of going back to the sins God was freeing me from appalled me. So I broke away from all temptation and actively pursued my Saviour.
I'll be honest, it was SOOO hard and I'm not even kidding. The period of my life before I accepted Jesus was the most difficult days I faced thus far. I backslid, repented, cried out to God only to repeat the cycle over and over again. Through it all, God waited patiently for me. I Like to think that He was right beside me and behind me, protecting me and changing me. Whenever I was tempted to indulge in sinful actions I would ask myself If five seconds of pleasure was worth an eternity in hell and I was filled with such fierce conviction from the Lord that I fled from my sin. The Bible says that when we resist the devil he will literally flee from us.
Today at 19 years old I can humbly look back at my life and say that God has changed me in ways I could not have imagined. He has filled my life with purpose and my spirit with hope. I no longer have the desire to repeat the sins of my past because whom the Son sets free is free indeed. Today I can confidently say that I have been set free and I thank Jesus every day for his unending grace and forgiveness. Since accepting Christ into my heart, I am able to love and forgive people so freely and wholly, I am able to see the hand of God working in my life and in the lives of those around me. He has given me a new heart and has renewed my mind.
I'm far from perfect and I never consider myself worthy of what God freed me from and what He did for me, but I am saved by grace through faith and not of my own works. The greatest lesson I've learned since accepting Jesus into my heart is that troubles don't stop. It sounds weird, but once you accept Jesus, the devil works overtime to tempt you into the life God has already freed you from. Or to remind you of your past to stir up shame and guilt. But God is faithful, and He never breaks His promises to us. I am beyond excited to see what God has in store for me and I eagerly place my life and hope in His name because it is through his name that I have been healed, delivered, and set free.
Thanks so much for reading. I pray this has blessed you and hopefully encouraged you.
