Will you choose to stand firm in your faith and follow God even if it’s hard? Be encouraged as Jerome shares how he continued to obey God in spite of trials.
After years of breaking God’s heart and not honoring Him—in my business and in my marriage—I made a decision to set things right with Him. I let go of the things that had hurt God in the past and vowed to focus on my walk with Him. However, just when I made a decision to follow the Lord, life got harder and things in my life began to crumble even more.
I have been a Christian ever since I was a kid. I grew up attending Sunday school in our church, where my father was a pastor. I knew a lot of things about God, but it was only recently that I truly understood who He is.
Years ago, I made a decision to enter a business that was not pleasing to Him and left my wife for someone else. Everything fell apart in my life after that. Instead of leaving me there, God used those things to speak to me and take me out of that pit.
Though we were already separated then, my wife invited me to attend a worship service in Victory. A pastor reached out to us and eventually helped us fix our broken relationship. Realizing the gravity of my mistakes, I made a resolve to follow the Lord and have faith in Him every day while continuously battling my old ways. The desire to serve the Lord by being part of a ministry also grew in my heart; I later volunteered to be an usher in the church.
As I walked on a new path, different “rocks” and trials started blocking my way. I lost the business that was not honoring the Lord and all the material things that came with it—our house, money, and car. It was hard for me and my family, but I soon realized that it was actually God’s way of removing the things that were not from Him; He was renewing my heart.
Though unlikely of me, I swallowed my pride and took a job in my sister’s company. The salary was lower than what I was earning from my business and I had to commute to work, but I pressed on knowing that it was God’s way of keeping me aligned to His will.
Each time I would feel the desire to go back to my old ways, I would repent and consistently seek God. I would remind myself every single day of my commitment to Him and earnestly pray with my family. I knew in my heart that after He freed me from my past, I could not afford to go astray and hurt Him again—no matter how difficult.
While trusting the Lord, my wife and I got an offer from my sister to manage the two properties she invested in. She was also beyond generous to give us a share of the earnings on top of our monthly salaries! As if that were not enough, she also provided a place for us to stay so we do not have to rent anymore! We were overwhelmed by how God’s blessings simply poured into our new life with Him. Everything that was taken from us was slowly replaced with something far better and bigger. Each rough patch became a channel of His grace. He did not just free me from my old ways, He also blessed me while I was walking in obedience.
Now, more than ever, I want to continue to grow in my faith and be a testimony to others. I am now on a discipleship journey while serving God in Victory Sta. Maria.
For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1
Indeed, our faith will always be tested. But as we choose to obey the Lord and keep trusting Him, He will also reveal Himself even more and bless us beyond what we can imagine. When it becomes hard to obey God, let’s remember His love for us and His ability to provide for everything we need.