I was blessed to be baptised and share my testimony in 2022. In my testimony, I shared the story of how my mother and I turned to God. I was not born in a Christian family, and I have been through painful things when growing up. I am grateful that God felt my pain and led me to him. Among all those pains, the relationship between me and my father was the most painful thing. I will not go through the details about what he had done because I have forgiven him and God has fixed our relationship. But what I can say is that our relationship made me feel so exhausted and frustrated. I felt like giving up on it because it felt hopeless. I was completely wrong.
When me and my mom became Christians, we thought things would be better but it wasn’t. My dad didn’t care about our belief in God, and we couldn’t influence him at all. Then my mom asked her church for help because she was hurting (my parents used to argue a lot). The elder told her that she needed to pray for him, so she called me and asked me to pray with her. I was reluctant to do it and I didn’t know why, I just had this uncomfortable feeling even though I knew that Jesus wanted me to do it.
After that, God spoke to me and gave me answers. I was unwilling to pray for him because I did not forgive him for the things he had done. God told me that I needed to forgive him and the reason for that is “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. (Matthew 6:14-15)”
I suddenly realised that God died for me on the cross and forgave my sins first, He loved me first when I didn’t even know him. As the bible says, “He forgives us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. (Matthew 6:12)” At that moment, I was relieved and crying in front of God. After that, I decided to pray for my dad even though it wasn’t easy for me, especially when I didn’t see any change in him. I had times when I was so disappointed because I felt he was not changing at all, and he would probably would never change. He even tried to stop my mom going to church because he thought she spent too much time serving in church. He would say arrogant stuff when my mom shared the Gospel with him. He even thought people who go to church are bunch of unsuccessful and pitiful people. After a while, I started to wonder if he could be changed at all and I stopped praying for him. I even said to my mom, that I didn’t think he would turn to Jesus in the next ten years at least. However, my mom has so much faith in God and she never stopped praying for him. She cried out to God to remove my dad’s stone heart and give him a flesh heart. She just kept praying and praying for him; then something happened and it changed my dad’s life totally.
My father has been doing business in China for almost 30 years, so he has many connections who are working for the government. One year ago, one of his friends was arrested for corruption by the Central Commission for Discipline Supervision. After that, my dad suddenly disappeared one day, and no one could reach him. We were so worried, my mom got a phone call from someone who works for the commission and told us that somehow my dad was involved in the case and he was suspected of bribery, so had been taken away for investigations. They didn’t allow him to contact anyone, and my mom needed to go to their office for investigations as well (but she was alright after a one day investigation.)
At the time when I was told about what happened, I was in Glasgow. I could not believe it and I’ve never felt so worried and desperate, and I couldn’t do anything about it. In the first few days, I couldn’t sleep and eat, I was full of fear. Then I started to pray to God, I asked God why this had happened to me, and I asked God to help my dad. On that day, I realised how much I care and love him. I prayed for him everyday and I just hoped he could return safely. One week passed, no response from him. Two weeks passed, no response from him. One month passed, still no response from him. No one knew what happened, no one knew if he was having a hard time during the investigation. We just kept praying for him, and my mom’s church was also praying for him. Although the situation looked like a dead-end, we never lost faith. The bible says: “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26) It is so true!
After two months, my dad returned home. Although he looked haggard, he returned safely. The investigation was done, he did not do anything illegal. The reason he was taken is because he used to do business with the government and he was close with the man who was arrested. Some transactions needed to be explained. He told us that he was taken away by four people from the commission on the day he disappeared. They took his phone right away and took him to the investigation place and locked him in a room. The commission checked all his personal emails, chats, business documents and bank statements to find out if there was anything illegal. The process was intense so he didn’t get much sleep for the first couple of days. Eight guards watched him 24 hours a day and investigators questioned him from early morning till late. He said he was having a tough time and he felt no dignity and respect for the first time in his life. All of his pride and the things that he used to be proud of, had no use at all. He was desperate and hopeless, then he suddenly remembered Jesus, he remembered how me and my mom prayed to God. He started praying, he couldn’t do anything but pray. He said he even prayed ten times a day and he asked Jesus to save him. God indeed saved him, physically and spiritually. Things could have gone completely differently but God heard his prayer. This has forever changed him.
Last time I met him, he was a completely new man. Now, he reads the bible and prays every day, he even goes to bible class (he used to hate it). He is so humble now and admits that Jesus is the one who controls his life. His change made me feel incredible about God’s work. He’s also not stressed and bad tempered anymore, he said that praying before bed always gives him a good sleep. He learned how to give burdens to God and trust him during the time when he was locked up. As the bible says: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)
Dad also realised some of the things that he had done hurt people who love him, so he started to change. I also fully forgave him and love him as Jesus asked me to. I also understand that he grew up in a family with no true love, no one has loved him like Jesus did so he didn’t know how to love others. If you never taste the love of Jesus, you will never be able to truly love others because you just don’t know what true love is like and you can only “love” others with your own understanding which is affected and formed by the society but not by our Father. It is why people have suffered from relationships and have been asking the same question: “What is Love?”, and no one can give a precise answer because they do not know Jesus and have not tasted the true love from Jesus. Fortunately, the bible provides us the answer. “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” (Corinthians 13:4-8)
Our relationship has been fixed since then, and it becomes better and better when we both seek a closer relationship with Jesus. My dad’s change is a huge encouragement to our family and my mom’s church. God hears our prayers and he actually never stops working, but everything has its time and we need to be patient and wait for God’s work. This was a valuable lesson for us to learn how to be patient and faithful while waiting for God’s response. Now I look back, I understand why God let this happen, because he has a beautiful plan for everyone and for every relationship.
Brothers and sisters, I hope my story can encourage you along the way of following Jesus. I am happy to talk and share if you are interested in my story and want to know more. Lastly, I want to end this with two verses from the bible: 1. “If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.” (Corinthians 13:1-3). 2. “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” (Corinthians 13:13)
Love is always the greatest power and the ultimate answer to everything! May God bless you!
Jack Zhu
Re:Hope West End
Let Jack’s story raise your expectations today. Are you expecting too little of our great and powerful God? Bring your prayers to Him today with renewed faith!
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