On Sunday at church, we sang “I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back” . That song made me think about why I decided to follow Jesus just over 7 years ago. Some thought it was just a phase but its not, it’s changed my life & I will never go back!

Now my life before Christ, for some people, was normal, no different from those around me & to others it was so different & challenging, that they don’t know how I am the person I am today. But for me & for Jesus it wasn’t the life that I was meant to lead.

I grew up without my dad, became a teen mum, suffered with depression, suicidal thoughts & had low self esteem /self worth. I didn’t love myself, in fact most of the times I didn’t even like myself, so the decisions I made out of that place were not good ones. They led me to relationships where I was disrespected, cheated on, mentally, emotionally & physically abused. But I didn’t love myself or value myself, so as I disrespected myself it was only natural that others would too.

I abused myself with alcohol & drugs, living a party lifestyle that numbed how I felt for a short time but only made it worse after. How many times I just wanted to die? How many times I woke up & thought I can’t keep doing this day after day? But I got to my rock bottom & God was there. He called me, I responded & my life has never been the same!

Some think I’m radical in my faith, but how can you not be passionate about the person that saved your life? How can you not give your all to the person who sacrificed their own life for yours? I will never be lukewarm, I will never be chilled out or laid back about Jesus & what he’s done for me! Because I decided to follow him & I’m not turning back.

When I speak out against stuff like being drunk or Love Island, it’s because I’ve been there, I’ve lived that life & I know the consequences of that type of lifestyle. And it leads to death, maybe not physical death but the death of your soul/spirit & creates a division between you & God. I know, I’ve been there.

As Christians, we are called to be a light in the darkness, to be different from the world & to show others that the plan God has for your life is so much better. And until you’re in a relationship with God & living differently you will never know firstly how bad it was & secondly how much better it can be.

Your life may not have been like mine but I guarantee you that God has so much more for you! If you already know God, I guarantee that he still has so much more for you if you seek him with all that you are. It’s all or nothing, because he is worthy of it all!

When you live like that, you get to know God on a whole new level, when you know his heart, wow, you get to step into the fullness of who he is. He gave his all so I’m going to give him my all & I will never, ever compromise.

I will get it wrong at times & makes mistakes because I’m human but I won’t ever take it for granted!! Thank you Jesus!!! I’m going to keep pressing on to be all who God created me to be.

Amber

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