In His Image Testimony: Jessica

I came to know Jesus as a young child. I knew with all my heart that I was a sinner and needed Him to set me free from condemnation, guilt, and hell. Unfortunately, I spent most of my young adulthood chasing sinful, self-gratifying pleasures instead of loving God, serving Him, and worshipping Him. By the age of 21 I was a complete mess. While beautiful on the outside I achieved much of it by starving, working out excessively, and taking both diet pills and laxatives. I believed the lie that the only good about me was my physical appearance and what I could offer to men. I was in and out of various sexual relationships from the age of 13 through 21. I was dead inside: hurting, alone, and desperate. The world, of course, could not see this. To most people I was very successful in life: attractive, intelligent, fashionable, popular, and a lot of fun to party with. What a lie!! I became pregnant at the age of 21 and shortly thereafter married my husband. By the grace of God we have been together now for over ten years and have two wonderful daughters. The road has been very hard and wrought with much pain. But God……continued to pursue me and us as a family! Amazing grace, how can it be?!? Approximately five years ago God brought me to my knees in full submission to Him and His loving, wonderful (but not always easy!) ways. Today, I have nearly completed a BA in Biblical Counseling, home school both of my children, and reach out to those around me in humility and compassion to bring them to Christ. Through Setting Captives Free I have finally let go of all remnants of the world’s false idea of beauty and worth. I am free to love and free to give, no longer shackled to shame, guilt, and starvation!! YEA!!!