My Story

As far as I remember, I have always believed that God exists. Raised in a Lutheran family, I said my evening prayers, behaved quite well and went through all the usual hoops to become a "nominal" Christian.

Once a colleague at my summer job asked some searching questions: "Are you a Christian?" "Yes", I replied. "So you are a believer then?" I had a hard time trying to explain--"Well, not a believer in that sense." A pretty poor explanation!

But God had more difficult questions. When I was a kid, I almost drowned once. I heard later that an older boy had seen that little fellow just jumping from the dock as bigger ones did, and that human angel had dived after me. Amazingly enough, later in that summer job I got an electric shock, and the only thing that saved me was the cable of the cooker coming off from the wall when I started falling backwards. God was speaking to me and showing me the fragility of life. Years later I was in a car accident which left me with permanent damage to the disks in my neck. These experiences started me thinking about life and death and for the first time I realised something was wrong - yes, something was missing.

God sent a messenger. A young fellow started giving me tracts about salvation, about Jesus. I laughed at the idea, but still there was no peace in my heart. But I could clearly see that he had peace. Gradually I realised that I had assumed that God would accept me as I was. I thought there were no major sins in my life and I was a pretty good guy. One day it hit me: how can I be sure this is what God really thinks of me?! I suddenly realised there was a major problem: I had sinned, sin was controlling my daily life and I needed forgiveness. I also came to see that the big goals I had set for myself in life were really empty and worthless. At that moment I cried to God, repented and asked forgiveness, and called on the Lord Jesus to save me.

From that day life has had real meaning for me. God has allowed many troubles and sorrows in my life, but in His endless mercy He has given me a wonderful wife, four lovely children and a place to work and witness. God has opened my eyes to see that without His salvation life is meaningless. The ambitions and goals of men and women are worthless in comparison to a personal relationship with God. "As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever." (Ps. 103:15; 1 Joh. 2:17)

What about you? Are you living a meaningless, worthless life, or do you have 'abundant life' through faith in Jesus Christ?

Olli-Pekka Tuikkala