Testimony – Paul

Christians come from all walks of life and their journey to Christ come in different ways and at different ages. Hear from a few of our members.

Paul

I was lying in bed one night feeling very guilty about something I’d done that day. I was about 10 or 11 years old. I was wretched and ashamed, and I prayed;
‘Dear God, if you’re real, please forgive my sins. Please Jesus, come into my life and save me’. Before I’d even finished praying, the crushing feeling of guilt disappeared! Gone. I felt re-born. I knew from that moment that I’d been forgiven by God and that Jesus would be in my life forever.
Of course, without me properly realising it, God had been patiently calling to me before. I had been told the stories about God and of Jesus all my life. My mother’s faith was strong, and she loved to tell her children about Him, the things He’d done and what He could do for us.
So, I knew why I was feeling awful about doing wrong and, more importantly, what I needed to do to get right with God. I knew my need of a Saviour, and of a Saviour who loved me, even though I didn’t love Him. I knew He was called Jesus, but I’d never made it ‘personal’. I knew about Jesus, but I didn’t know Him.
That night in my room, I was finally honest with God and called out to Him to help me. It was a cry from the heart. Looking back, that night was the crucial starting point. I now had a ‘father-child’ relationship with God. I was His and He was mine. He began to teach me and show me how I needed to change, in fact, to be transformed. There was no going back.
I am in my early sixties now. God has been faithful to me despite my lack of faith towards Him. He has ‘directed my paths’. He has corrected me when I’ve been stubborn and guided and encouraged me when I’ve felt like giving up. He provided me with a godly wife, two delightful children (and children-in-laws) and meaningful work. I know the power of God in my life, and I know what He can do with the unlikeliest of materials!
If, like that small, sad boy in his bedroom all those years ago, you feel you need your sins forgiven, then don’t be afraid, acknowledge you’re a sinner, believe that Jesus died for you and call out to God. He is ‘faithful and just’ and will save you, too.

The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. John 1v9