Posted on November 6, 2015, Updated on May 12, 2026
We all want to live a life of significance.
I still remember the day I first realized:
“Life is not about me.”
Can you think of a time in your life when you made the decision to begin living with real purpose?
I can.
I began discovering God’s purpose for my life at the age of twelve.
Would you allow me to share my testimony and how I began discovering that purpose?
My hope is that it will encourage you to live a life that truly matters.
How I Began My Relationship With Christ
My testimony is really a story of God’s goodness and grace.
I was born in Florence on October 8, 1962. Here’s a photo of me as a baby.
Before I Met Christ
I started attending church at a very young age and enjoyed it because I loved the Bible stories.
I thought I was a Christian because I wasn’t a bad person and had never intentionally hurt anyone. I especially believed I was doing everything right because I attended church every week, prayed occasionally, and read my Bible from time to time.
But deep down, I didn’t truly understand what it meant to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
How I Met Christ
At the age of twelve, one of the elders in the church asked me:
“If you were to die today, would you go to Heaven?”
“Yes, I think so,” I replied.
Then he asked me another question I never forgot:
“Why should God let you into Heaven?”
I answered the best way I knew how:
“I go to church, I read my Bible, and I’m a good person.”
The man gently told me:
“That’s nice, but it’s not enough.”
He then explained the Gospel to me.
He told me that Jesus died on the cross for my sins and rose again from the dead. He explained that I needed to repent, ask Christ to forgive my sins, and surrender my life to Him as Lord and Savior.
He described repentance as a complete turnaround — turning away from sin and beginning a new life of loving God, loving others, and sharing Christ with the world.
The church I attended also taught that believers should be baptized in water, and I’m thankful for that foundation.
That day, I decided to be baptized and asked Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life.
What My Life Is Like Now
My life has never been the same.
Jesus has become my best friend and my help in times of need. Life has not always been easy or perfect, but through every challenge, He has remained faithful.
I love Jesus with all my heart.
I’m also thankful that my testimony is not one of extreme rebellion, but rather of God patiently drawing me to Himself at a young age.
I vividly remember the day I sensed God calling me into ministry.
As a teenager, I was standing in a bathroom when I distinctly felt God impress on my heart that He wanted me to become a minister.
It wasn’t an audible voice, but it was a very clear sense of purpose and direction for my life.
At first, I assumed I would become a pastor. But it soon became evident that God had especially given me a passion for evangelism because I loved sharing with others what Christ had done in my life.
As soon as I finished high school, I enrolled in Bible college to prepare for ministry.
The theology classes were valuable, but while many students stayed on campus, I found myself sharing Christ in malls, on the streets, in jails, and even in pubs.
That’s when I discovered something important:
My mission and purpose in life was not simply to study the Gospel — it was to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with as many people as possible.
That’s one of the reasons I wrote this article.
How about you?
Have you discovered God’s purpose for your life?