Who am I?

I’m a nobody. I’m nothing special, or extraordinary. I am a 22 year old Christian man, who loves Jesus and wants to make him known. I don’t want influence or power, I just simply want to live a surrendered life to Christ and use my gifts to spread the name of Jesus to everyone I meet.

Some things I like to do

I am someone who loves to read books (ranging from the Bible to Christian books to business books and beyond), play sports (mainly soccer and pickleball), cook, play musical instruments (violin and piano), and spend time with Jesus.

What’s my story?

I grew up in a loving conservative Christian home with parents and siblings who loved me. I’ve always known that Jesus existed growing up, but made my relationship with him my own when I was incredibly young. When I was in 3rd or 4th grade, I stumbled across pornography. It radically shaped the way I viewed sex and the world, and in the process I became an insecure, selfish, kid who had an unhealthy relationship with my body. I did not view sex the way God has intended myself to view sex.

I struggled with pornography all the way through college. Elementary school, middle school and high school was not easy. I did not find people I can resonate with, or friends I can truly connect with. I always felt out of place, did not have a lot of great Christian friends and chased after the wrong things.

I then went to a Christian college. Wheaton College. It radically changed and shaped my life for the better. My relationship with God became so much better. I had friends who loved me and challenged me to grow in all seasons of life. I had amazing seasons where I was free of porn and masturbation, and seasons where I was in the slums. I felt that as I became more free, sometimes the devil would come back harder and hit me harder with temptations and times when I was not on guard.

I then went overseas for a year to study abroad. I did not have a great community around me and it was hard for me. Then, I met an amazing woman of God who I hurt deeply. I was not mature enough and I was not in the right headspace to date because of my problems with pornography and masturbation among other things. I did not love her well. There were really high highs, and really low lows. As you probably could have imagined, it did not go very well. My actions did not reflect that of a godly man, but far from it. I was supposed to love her well as Christ loved the church and gave himself for the church but continued to push my way, force things, and was being manipulative. I take responsibility for my actions and I was not proud for what I did.

When I came back to the US to work, I realized I needed to get right with God if I was ever going to be in a loving relationship with a woman. My kryptonite has always been holding things too tightly, especially when it comes to relationship. I knew that I was constantly finding satisfaction in all the wrong things. God used the relationship for his good, and everyday I am delighting in God more and more. I am learning how he loves me deeply. I am talking with God daily in conversations and am brought to the attention that the world has lost its compass. As we are in the end times, people have lost their way. Society is becoming crazier and crazier everyday.

Why I am writing this blog?

I am writing a blog titled, “A Man of God in His 20s” because I want to encourage other men to live godly lives. I am not perfect. I have not gotten everything figured out. I have taken steps to never look at porn again and learning that the best way to fight masturbation and lust is to look to Christ, the savior and perfecter of all things. As I reflect more on my journey, the best times of when I choose not to engage in lustful actions or thoughts are the times when I truly am in love with Jesus. As I am sitting right now writing this blog, I am had my mind radically changed that I was not incredibly receptive of in the past as what you would call the charismatic movement (healings, speaking in tongues, casting out demons, etc.). I relate to Francis Chan as he said that growing up he did not think that there were a lot of things of the Charismatic side that happens, and now I see that it happens and is incredibly real.

I will aim to write blogs about Christian books I have read and currently reading, what I’m learning as I am walking everyday with Christ (we don’t stop growing till the day we die), thoughts about certain topics, things I am currently thinking about and topics you want me to write about. This blog started as a blog for me to write summaries about Christian books because I keep forgetting about what I read, but I hope this blog can encourage you in your walk with Christ from a man to a man. I am by no means perfect, if you are looking to find someone who is perfect, doesn’t stumble, have everything figured out, go look at a different blog because this blog isn’t coming from someone who is perfect. But who I am is someone who runs hard after God and wants to use my one life well in a manner that is pleasing and honoring to him.

I continue to walk with Christ everyday and the deeper I fall in love with Christ, the more I am starting to see that there are a lot of mud pies in this world, that I am trading for the riches and glory of Christ and what he has for me.

Who is this blog for?

A Man of God in His 20s is for anyone and everyone who wants to seek after God. Mainly men in their 20s but women as well in their 20s are also welcome to read as well. It is not limited to men and women who are limited in their 20s but it is coming from someone who is not a perfect, or a pastor, but a guy who loves Jesus.

It is to offer encouragement to the broken hearted, people who are struggling to come as they are but to also know that there is freedom in Jesus Christ. The same spirit that raised Jesus Christ from the dead lives in you and you have the power to overcome the sins in your life. Something I’ve learned is that one of my favorite hymns is incredibly true: that when I turn my eyes upon Jesus and look in his wonderful face, the things of this world grows strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace.

I truly hope that you will find comfort in reading this blog, that you can relate to some of my experiences but most of all that you are encouraged, inspired to love Jesus more and more everyday.

Happy reading A Man of God in His 20s!

Oh and also happy thanksgiving! Did you know that turducken exists? a chicken, inside of a duck, inside of a turkey – I did not know that exists until today.