Any Christian wish to share their personal testimony?

Question

Anyone wish to share their personal testimony of how they came to know Christ, or if raised in a Christian home, how you developed your own personal and vibrant love for Christ. Did you have to go through some sort of "trial or tribulation" like many of us have or what?

Answer 1

To answer this question in this format is almost impossible.
I know now that GOD has had HIS hand on me for many years as I've done things that should have gotten me killed or thrown in jail.
Suffice it to say that my life has turned a complete 180 since finally surrendering to Jesus Christ and GOD will for my life.
I have a great life, a beautiful family and a nice home.
My marriage of 33 years is stronger than ever.
I'm a Christian Pastor, Evangelist and Author.
I often say if GOD blessed me any more I'd have to be twins.

Answer 2

Yes I went through hard times before I came to know God. IT was these hard times that made me realise, how could there not be a God? I would think...surely this is not all there is to my life. Then in the darkest times of my life, probably somewhat because I had people praying for me, I began to see the light.

I wouldn't be where I am today, and I wouldn't have the passion to help others who went through things similar as I did, if it weren't for the things I experienced. I don't regret any of the bad that's happened, because often you have to go through the bad to realise what is good. I wouldn't change anything in my past, especially the bad stuff, because I wouldn't be the person I am today.

I'm still very far from perfect, and often don't act very Godly, but I am working on it, and I know God's working in me, and will never give up on me.

Basically, I was majorly depressed throughout my later childhood and teen years, although at the time I didn't know I was depressed or what was wrong with me. I thought there was something very wrong with me. I hated myself and my life, especially in my teen years. There was very little joy in my life then. Kids at school hated me, because I suppose since I was depressed I guess I acted a little weird sometimes. I had no friends, and didnt get much affection or attention from my family.

All this led me to smoking pot in my mid-teen years, to escape the pain, and doing stupid stuff, and hanging around people that dragged me down, because these people were the only people that gave me any 'respect' or attention, because I was different like them. Then after a while my mind went a little funny from the smoking. I finally started going to church for a while when I was 16 and came to know God, but i soon slipped away from him. Then I got into heavier drugs, and then things went really bad. Lots of bad relationships which had a really bad affect on my mind, and caused more self hate and low self esteem, which then led to me doing even more stupid stuff. I did some bad things, and let a lot of people do a lot of bad stuff to me.

I often wanted to kill myself, and was just in a really bad place mentally and emotionally, when finally God re-entered my life, and things improved big time.

I know God exists because I wouldn''t be alive if it weren't for HIm saving me from my self-inflicted hell. I'm off the drugs and stuff permanently now, and my self worth has improved, and I no longer let people treat me like crap. But I still struggle with staying close to God, even though I know He's there and He'll never leave me. I now know God has a purpose for me and that I don't have to live a chronically unhappy life, no matter what circumstances may bring.

God's done so much in my life, and I know he's done even more in many other people's lives. If only people knew how much their lives and state of mind would improve if they accepted God into their lives.