“I thought God was a mean guy who would punish me for just about everything, even dressing the wrong way.”
Steve wanted nothing to do with God. Having grown up in a very strict household, where being a Christian meant acting, talking, and dressing in a certain way, Steve ended up with an idea of who God was that didn’t match the God of the Bible.
When he became an adult, Steve rejected the values and rules he’d grown up with and began to live in a way that totally angered his family…When Steve’s uncle, who he had a close relationship with, died, Steve wasn’t allowed to take communion or fully participate at the funeral because his family didn’t approve of his lifestyle…He was devastated by this.
After this, Steve decided to completely reject the God he saw as out to get him. When Steve called us last week, he told us, “I thought God was a mean guy who would punish me for just about everything, even dressing the wrong way.”
When Steve rejected his childhood religion, his family rejected him. “My brother is so disappointed in me and wants nothing to do with me!” he said. Few things have been more painful than his family’s rejection, he told us.
For years, Steve has suffered from depression and suicidal thoughts, which only increased when he lost a close friend to brain cancer not long ago. Years ago, he started smoking marijuana in an attempt to drown out his anxiety and depression. Not long after his friend died, Steve was channel surfing and stumbled upon the Real Show. Something held him there, and he kept watching…he heard about a God he’d never heard of before — a God of love, not condemnation.
he heard about a God he’d never heard of before -- a God of love, not condemnation. Click To TweetHe told us,“I have always believed in God, but I just didn’t really know how to have a relationship with Jesus.” That’s changed for Steve though, and he’s pursuing a relationship with the God he knows sought him out first.
Walking with God is producing freedom in Steve’s life in ways he never could have imagined before. “Pastor Daniel’s teaching has helped me overcome loss…I’ve even stopped smoking marijuana,” he said.
Now, Steve is eager to keep growing. He’s been seeing a Christian counselor and participating in Crossroads Community Church online on Sundays.
Steve’s story reminded us of God’s faithfulness to continue to reveal himself in new ways to us. And where we’ve had a misunderstanding of who He is, He reveals himself to us in truth, so we can walk in his freedom.
And where we’ve had a misunderstanding of who he is, he reveals himself to us in truth, so we can walk in his freedom. Click To Tweet