What was life like before you met Jesus?
Before I met Christ I had a deep desire to be known and liked by people. I wanted people to think I was a good person. I tried to get that feeling by working hard, doing the right thing, and being successful in everything I did. I pursued this in sports - wrestling, specifically. I thought if I could win state, be an NCAA champion, or be a world champion people would know me, like me, and think I was a good person and hard worker.
How did you meet Jesus?
The desire to be known and liked kept growing. I won state wrestling, but that wasn’t enough. I pursued bigger goals and more people because something was missing. I had a girlfriend at the time, who is now my wife, and I cheated on her because I needed more. I wanted to be known and liked by more people. My journey to be liked and known by people, and feel like I was a good person led me to attend church. In my first semester of college, I heard about the fairytale, about a savior coming down to earth for us. Over a few months, God worked in my heart through His Word and His Spirit and opened my eyes to the truth. I was still in my sin, “But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) I accepted Jesus as my God and Savior into my heart that November. My deepest desires of being known and liked are filled. 1 Corinthians 13:12 says, “...Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.” I can’t wait for the day when I meet Jesus face to face.
After being saved by Jesus, what is your life like now?
I no longer love sin. Jesus has shown me who He is and He meets my every need. I still struggle with sin, but I know what Romans 5:9 says, “Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!” I know that I am covered by his blood and that my life is hidden with Christ in God. I have full confidence that the fairytale of God coming down to earth isn’t a fairytale but is actually the truth because I have experienced Romans 5:5 to be true, “and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”