I was raised in a Christian home where I was taught the Scriptures from a very young age. My father was a pastor who faithfully trained our family in the Word of God and consistently pointed us to Christ.

At four years old, I came to understand that I was a sinner. On my fourth birthday, I repented of my sins and trusted in Christ, and God saved my soul from my just condemnation. While I don’t believe it is common for children to be saved at such a young age, I attribute this to the faithful, daily prayers of my parents that their children would come to know the Lord early in life.

As the oldest of five children, I was what many would consider a “good kid.” Although I was certainly a sinner, I wasn’t a troublemaker and tried to follow the Lord throughout my childhood.

At nineteen, I married a wonderful young woman, and nine months later we welcomed our first child. The transition into marriage and fatherhood in such a short time was challenging, but through it we saw God’s blessing and provision.

As I grew older, the Lord used life’s trials to reveal my true condition apart from Christ. For much of my life, I believed I was living a “good” Christian life. I had not done many of the things people consider “bad,” and I lacked a deep understanding of my own sinfulness. I began to see that I had taken the work of the Holy Spirit for granted and had subtly believed that the good in my life came from myself.

Through the challenges of marriage, the humbling reality of parenting, unmet expectations, sickness, and personal conflict, God brought me to a place where I could clearly see my inadequacy and my deep spiritual need.

In those difficult seasons, Scripture, honest and humble prayer, and sound biblical teaching were what sustained me. Through them, the Lord replaced my self-reliance with a deep gratitude for who He is and what He has done.

I came to understand more clearly that I was not saved simply because I had committed sins, but because I am a sinner by nature from birth.

Looking back, I am deeply grateful for those trials. Through them, I have come to see the beauty of the gospel more clearly and to treasure Christ more deeply. His mercies truly are new every morning, and His love is deeper than the sea.