Christian testimonies

Clayton
Clayton: I was brought up in a Christian family, so for as long as I can remember I have come under the word of God being taught. I have also seen God working in my family and other people's lives. Through various trials I have seen God's blessing upon us as a family.

Although I had always heard God's word taught, it was not until I was fourteen years old that I started to seek to know God in my life. I knew that if I did not repent of my sins I would go to hell for eternity. I have always believed that there was a God and that He created the earth. Yet all my life I did not want to know Him personally because that would have meant that I would have had to be subject to His laws.

When I was younger I was given a picture of the two roads from Pilgrim's Progress, 'the narrow' and 'the broad way'. The narrow way leads to heaven and the broad way to hell. This picture influenced me greatly as I would often look at it on my wall and consider which way my life was going, I knew I wanted to be on the narrow road, and I knew the cost. Yet I continued to make excuses about becoming a Christian, my old life seemed too important to me. I loved my sins and I felt it was too hard for me to give them up. I used to go to church week after week but I still had no interest in what was being preached.

I frequently played truant at school because I started to hang around with the wrong crowd. I did things which I now regret. Living my life how I wanted to live it, selfishly putting myself first, did not make me feel any happier. The pleasures of living for myself were so brief. I just ended up feeling further away from God, and empty that my life without God had no hope and meaning to it. School played a big part in my life and I was influenced by the people around me, and this ended up affecting my schoolwork. Although when I finally did get suspended it made me think; I realised that I must change my view on school and stop being friends with those who were a big hindrance to me as they encouraged me to smoke and drink.

Although God spoke through my conscience and the preaching of His word, I never really listened. I always believed that there is a heaven and a hell and that unless I turned to Him and sought His forgiveness for my sins then I was bound for hell. Yet there was still something inside of me that refused to let go of my sin. It was easier for me to carry on living for myself than to submit to God and follow him.

At fifteen, I felt that I needed to know God, and His Son the Lord Jesus Christ, otherwise there would have been no purpose to my life. I went to a Christian conference in Aberystwyth and it was whilst I was listening to an evening sermon I realised that unless I repented of my sins I was going to hell and I really felt God speaking to me and convicting me of my sins. This was when I started to seek God, but it was a gradual process. There were things, which were still attractive that I found hard to give up, but I began to see them as rubbish that would take my eyes from knowing Jesus Christ as my Saviour. I asked God to forgive me of my sins and to be Lord and Saviour over my life. That God would come into my life and change me, so that I would be able to serve Him and love Him for the rest of my life. It was then that I started to want to live for Him and to obey His commandments.

I made a choice between life and death. Having surrendered myself to Christ I started following Jesus and living for Him. Ever since that day my life has been so different as I now know the true and real meaning of life. Words cannot describe how becoming a Christian has changed my life I feel that whatever trials I have faced in my life God has worked things for the good. So I can thank God in everything. I pray that God will use me to do His will and glorify his name. I want to live the rest of my life for Him. I thank God for everything that has happened to me. It has helped me to know Him better and to thank and praise Him. And I want to tell others of His amazing love and kindness which He has shown to me. Jesus Christ died for me on the cross that by me believing and surrendering my life to Him I now have eternal life in heaven.

Before I was a Christian I was under the wrath of God, but now He is my friend, my Father and my Saviour. So I put it to you if you are living a life of sin as I used to, there is still hope for you. Repent of your sins and ask Jesus to come into your life. The door of salvation is open, but God only promises today, for who knows what tomorrow will bring?