All people are in need of a Savior. I had the great fortune of growing up in a house with two very devout Christians for parents, and this was something that they pounded into my head from a very young age. As a result of their witness, I was saved at the age of 6, before I ever understood the struggles of living without purpose or direction. I was true to my faith and followed Christ the best I could for the next 16 years. I experienced many struggles, including a deployment in the Army less than two months after being married, and 2 years of work in an environment that was hostile to my faith. Through these times, I never lost faith or doubted the plan that the Lord had for my life. Then, in late 2018, three months removed from the birth of my second child, God threw me a curve ball. I had known for some time that my time in the Army was coming to a close, but the problem with leaving was that God also led me away from the plan I had of entering federal law enforcement.

After withdrawing from the application process, I was left with no job, no plan, and a family of four to feed. For the first two months, I trusted God as always and waited patiently for a job. By early December, however, I had lost all hope; I had applied to over 100 jobs, had zero interviews, and was the owner of a dwindling bank account and a broken spirit. My marriage was falling apart, I was spiraling into depression, and I could not even land a minimum-wage position as a dishwasher at an Applebee’s. The only contact I had with God was from 10-12 on Sunday mornings. I was angry, had lost faith in God and myself, and had given up all hope. I lived for months without purpose or direction because of my own faithlessness. Even after being hired after 6 months of unemployment, I gave God attention. It took 4 more months until the Lord finally broke me down while reading the book of Revelation. I realized that I had lived the past year without God, and I knew that if I had died during that time, I would have been the lowest inhabitant of heaven, and the most deserving of the shame and hell that Jesus had gone through on my behalf. But God showed me that regardless of how terrible of a life I had lived, I would still experience the glory of heaven. I looked back at the past year of my life and realized that God had tested me and allowed me to see the kind of life I would have lived if I were not saved, and I resolved to live the rest of my life to give Him glory. God showed me that His mercy outweighs my sinful nature, and He gave me direction to share my experiences with others who may be going through the same thing. From my own experiences I can testify that Christ is Lord; no self-help book or life coach can turn you around so quickly and completely like the One that gave everything for you to be with Him eternally, even though you had nothing to give in return.

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