Synopsis: As a freestyle footballer, Andrew could do tricks such as the ‘Around the World’ but his life only revolved around himself. Listen to how God gave Andrew a greater purpose to live for!
Andrew:
Hi, I’m Andrew and I’m 16! My life used to revolve around myself… But now with God, I can live for a purpose greater than myself! Here is my story.
Since young, I always wanted to be the best in everything…But I wasn’t the top of the class, and I wasn’t the most popular. So, I tried picking up a new talent… freestyle football! I practised very hard to perfect my skills, and managed to perform some tricks… like this! If you’re wondering, this trick is called ‘around the world’. But sadly I can only do this trick… around my house. When people started calling me the ‘freestyle football guy’, I felt like I was on top of the world!
I could do tricks like ‘around the world’, but my life revolved around…me. When my parents asked about my day, I would ignore them. Sometimes I stayed out to practise freestyle football till midnight, and they would call me…But I would switch off my phone and lie that it ran out of battery. It was terrible of me… but I just didn’t care about their feelings.
My life looked fun and exciting on the outside! But on the inside, I was full of worries. I realised that all the fun and recognition wouldn’t last…I wondered, is life just about going through the motions? Once I die, would I just vanish? At the end of the day, I didn’t know what my purpose in life was.
Then when I entered secondary school, I met Wei Zhi! He was the friendliest senior ever! He was always asking me about my life, and inviting me out for lunch! Secretly in my heart I thought – Oh my gosh, this is SO cool. A senior wants to be my friend! When he invited me for service, of course I said yes! I thought I would just visit once. But when I came, I was blown away. Everyone was singing so passionately, I couldn’t help but join in. As I did that… all my worries were lifted off my shoulders! Somehow, I felt a strong tugging that God is the answer to all of that. So that day, I made the best decision and I gave my life to Jesus!
I couldn’t forget the peace and joy I felt… so I decided to come back to church! I also started follow up Bible study lessons! It is 8 one-on-one lessons with a leader in church to understand more about God. There, I learnt that God is not a faraway figure, but a Heavenly Father. God can speak to us in a still, small voice! I remember once, I was very fearful that I wouldn’t do well in my exams. Then, I heard God telling me that He was with me and He was in control. At that moment, faith warmed my heart and all my stress disappeared. In the end, I did well! I was so touched that the God of the entire universe loves me and was looking out for me.
Also, in church, I also found my best friends! With them, every moment is just EPIC! Even when we’re studying together – or at least, when we try to study. Most of the time, it ends up with us making funny gifs of each other! More than the fun, they also showed me what it means to love others. When they found out I liked football, they specially asked to play with me! Whenever I needed help with my schoolwork – I didn’t even have to ask. They were the first to offer help! They gave their love freely without expecting anything in return. I realised I didn’t want to remain self-centered anymore. I wanted to be someone who would bring God’s love to others too!
One time, I noticed my classmate was struggling with his studies. In the past, I wouldn’t have done anything to help. But now, my heart just went out to him. I prayed for him, encouraged him with bible verses and studied together with him! I also stopped being rude to my parents and I spent time with them. On Mother’s Day, I bought my mum a bouquet of flowers and wrote a card to her! Honestly, I just picked the bouquet that I thought looked the nicest. Thank God my mum liked it! I’m so much happier loving others! Oh! That said, Mother’s Day is coming up in 3 weeks. If you have not prepared anything, you have the rest of the circuit breaker to prepare!!
Another time, God spoke to me that I can change the world for Him! At first, I thought, God are you sure? But I’m still so young! But I remembered what Pastor How and Pastor Lia always say, “Youth are leaders today, not just tomorrow”. I realised I could play a part in changing lives by bringing God to people! For the first time, I felt a true sense of purpose in my heart. Fast forward to today, I am a leader in church, guiding other youths in their walk with God. My life no longer revolves around freestyle football. The emptiness in my heart has been filled with joy and purpose!
Today, I just want to thank God. Because of Him, an ordinary boy like me can find an amazing purpose to live for! Friends, open up your hearts and give God a chance to change your lives today. He has a great purpose for you too! Thank you!
