Before Jesus Changed My Life

Before I knew Christ, I was stuck in the world. I grew up in a Christian family. We always went to church, and they would speak about God's love and living for him throughout my youth. When I left home for college my freshman year, that's when things took a turn. I got involved in a lot of things I was not proud of, and my family was not proud of them either. I would find pleasure in what the world brings me by hanging out with the wrong people at the wrong places. Finding approval of what others think, living for sexual pleasure, and desiring different things to satisfy or please me, whatever it was. I thought I had to live a certain way to make people like me, which made me act differently and become someone I wasn’t when I was under the same roof as my family. I was lost and found no way out. Even when I knew Christ, I didn’t seek him to help me. I kept looking for things in the world to help me, whether it’s sex, drugs, partying, pleasure, anything to satisfy me, but it never got me to where I wanted or needed to be. Even when I left college to come home and live on my own, I still felt that maybe the environment change was what I needed but it wasn’t, I brought all the things I did at college back home with me but this time it was worse than before and I just felt like this is my life and there's no way out of it. It's either I find a way to figure it out on my own, or I don't see a future for me.

How Jesus Changed My Life

At a time, things were going somewhat well. I understood that I needed God, but I was lukewarm and still living for the world. There were some things that I stopped doing, but I was still finding pleasure in drugs, worldly approval, sex, and living for myself. I then got into a relationship. I felt at the time it was a great thing, and I was so happy that it happened. But when we broke up, I was devastated, felt shame and guilt, and felt so much wrong. It was as if I had lost a part of myself. I would go down a list of everything lost, like playing my favorite sport, to now, my relationships. I was lost! I had no one, and no one had me. I finally hit rock bottom. I knew I needed something that was and is not of this world; I needed Christ to save me, and he did. I remember going to a Salt Conference this year, and after leaving there, I surrendered my life to him. I have never felt more joy and peace, and knowing that nothing in this world can satisfy me more than the love he has for me. He has shown me that I am no longer defined by my past self, but rather defined as a Child of God. I remember crying so hard after a breakup, but the only thought I knew that was going to help me out of the hurt was leaning on God and trusting his plan for me. He has brought me out of dark valleys, and I can’t even explain that I would not be here if it weren’t for him. I like to look back and see how bad of situations I was in, and every time, EVERYTIME, HE HAS BROUGHT ME THROUGH!!! He has never failed, and he never will! He truly has saved and changed my life, and I give all thanks and glory to him! I now fully believe and trust that the gospel is the true story of Jesus Christ in how he saved and rescued us from sin, death, and the devil. We were dead in sin, but by the grace of God, he gave us new life in him. Ephesians 2:12-13 says, “remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”

My Life After Jesus Saved Me

I felt as if I didn't need human approval. I stopped caring what others thought of me. I found new friends within the church and Salt. I saw a different view for my life and the world around me because I knew the creator, and it brought so much joy to me. Even when I went through the toughest circumstances, I could depend on God to deliver me from them, and he did every single time. It was never of my own works but solely on my faith in him. I have clarity, I am able to help others and open up about my problems more, seek out new relationships with Godly people to help minister to myself on my journey. But ultimately, I see him at work every day, and I am so grateful and thankful for all he has done. I was dead, but now I am alive, and I see a future! He called me by name and said, “Sam, you are mine, I love you, you mean everything to me!” He has done wonders, I look at Isaiah 25:1 every single time I feel lost because I know the good shepherd, and he is always there to find and rescue his lost sheep! Praise God!! “Yahweh you are my God, I will praise you, I will exalt you in your name for you have accomplished wonders! Plans formed long ago with perfect faithfulness!” Isaiah 25:1. It doesn’t matter what you have done or what you did, if he can move any mountain and part of every sea, he can save you, he can deliver you, YES HE DID, SO YES HE CAN!!!!!