I grew up in a Christian household. My dad was a pastor and his father before that. So, as a young lad, I knew what it was like to go to church, to know God and ‘behave’ like a Christian. It wasn’t until I was around 15 that I made a personal decision to devote my life to trusting and following Jesus. At that moment, all I had learned as a child and witnessed from my family came sharply into focus, and I was able to make Christianity a reality for myself.
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:2)
Becoming a Christian changed my life for the better, but it did not necessarily make it smooth sailing. As a young adult I decided to live a more alternative lifestyle. I bought a motorcycle, started getting tattoos and piercings, and started playing in punk bands. My lifestyle was fun and exciting, but it also came with constant temptation. The devil lurks around every corner, hoping to trip us up with promises to fulfil our every desires, yet these never match up to the life and purpose God has planned for us. Through reading my Bible and spending time with other Christians, I was able to keep these temptations (mostly) in check.
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (James 4:7)
I have also struggled with mental health along my journey. I often feel stressed and anxious about small and trivial things, and sometimes my slip ups in life send me into a depressed state of mind. It wasn’t until I confronted these issues that I was able to raise my overall positivity towards life. Counselling and medication helped smooth out these anxieties, but the hope I have in Jesus, and the friendship I have with Him, really helps me to keep my eye on the prize, and that is eternal life with Him.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)
I’m the first to admit I am far from perfect, and that’s ok because none of us are. The most important thing to me is that I continue to grow in knowing Jesus better and to live more like Him. I’m a work in progress. Jesus died on the cross for the sins of humankind, and He defeated death by returning back to life and ascending into heaven. This amazing turning point in history has wiped the slate clean for me. It will do the same for anyone who asks Him for forgiveness and decides to follow Him —what a gift!
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)