The final of our stories of brothers and sisters who have come from a South Asian background, been exposed to God’s word, have turned from darkness to light, and are growing to serve our Lord Jesus more. You can also read the first, second and third ones in the series.
I grew up in a family with parents who did not attend church regularly but encouraged me to go to church. We prayed and sang songs of worship. We also read the Bible but never discussed or tried to understand it. So, God to me was some powerful being who answered prayers at difficult times, and had a lot of control of humanity and creation.
In 2020, in the throes of Covid, I started attending a Bible study. It was there that I really got a grasp of the attributes of God and what that really meant. I started seeing for myself how the Bible revealed the nature of God. My perspective about God shifted dramatically. I thought God was an all-powerful, all-controlling superpower, needing to be pleased. In reading the Bible properly, I learnt that God is a just, humble, and loving Father.
That was when I understood the meaning of the cross and what Jesus did by dying on the cross for our sins. The meaning of his resurrection and the power it holds struck me one day, and I went on my knees and said with my lips and heart that Jesus is God. It was so powerful to read the Bible and see more of God. This ultimately made me realise that he has to be my priority. My prayer time also changed from praying only when I need him, to praying ceaselessly like Paul describes in 1 Thessalonians 5. I wanted God to be the author of every decision in my life, and I couldn’t see life without a ‘Jesus lens’ any longer.