Before Jesus Changed My Life

For years, I found myself constantly battling sadness and depression as I tried to navigate life's challenges on my own. Whether at work or with family, I believed I could fix every problem, often feeling confident in my abilities. However, each failure led to intense self-hatred and despair. This constant stress only compounded my problems, pushing me to seek relief in unhealthy ways, which perpetuated a cycle of struggle.

How Jesus Changed My Life

My brother, Kody, had often encouraged me to join him at church, but I always dismissed the idea. Although we attended church as children, we eventually stopped going. After a particularly difficult week, I decided to take Kody up on his offer, hoping to discover the source of his and other Christian's apparent happiness.

Entering the church, I was still quite skeptical. However, I was immediately met with friendly smiles and warm welcomes, just as I had anticipated. The worship began, and chills ran through my body as everyone burst into song. This captured my attention, and I listened intently as Jake preached about what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. I initially thought that perhaps if I simply read more and prayed, I would overcome my stress and cease turning to sin.

Yet, my problems persisted. During one service, Jake highlighted that I was still approaching my faith selfishly, believing that I could fix things by doing the "right" actions. I went home that day and prayed for Jesus to take full control, asking for my ego to die. Romans 10:9 says, “because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

By the grace of God, everything began to make sense. I realized that I, myself, am nothing; in fact, humanity as a whole is nothing. Everything has been created by God and for His glory. I started to see things in a new light, filled with gratitude for life and all that I had been given. When challenges and stressful times arose, I found myself turning to prayer, and my desires began to change.

My Life After Jesus Saved Me

Since my life has been reconciled, I no longer feel the burden of trying to control everything on my own. I now see things as being in God's hands. Through His sacrifice alone, I have received salvation and eternal life. Romans 5:1 says, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” I find that my former struggles, such as turning to drugs, are incomparable to the joy found in the Lord's glory.

While I still face problems and occasionally stumble, my reaction to these moments is no longer to shrug them off as insignificant. Instead, I feel guilt and remorse, and I seek forgiveness. What once seemed foolish to me now makes perfect sense, all by His grace.