I lived beyond my means

Despite being in the church, I struggled with my finances for nearly five years. I had a good job and earned a decent salary, which allowed me to live in an expensive apartment and afford whatever I wanted. However, my finances hit rock bottom when I started living beyond my means. I bought expensive furniture and clothes and could no longer pay my accounts on time and struggled to keep up with my expenses. I was drowning in debt.

My salary ran out quickly, leaving me unable to pay rent or buy food, so I repeatedly borrowed money. Out of desperation, I turned to cash loans and loan sharks. I often couldn't repay what I had borrowed and was in a constant state of stress and anxiety.

The weight of my financial struggles started taking a serious toll on my mental health. Every month, as I struggled to make ends meet, I felt increasingly overwhelmed and hopeless. Eventually, the stress spiralled into severe depression and I suffered a mental breakdown. My family was deeply concerned about my wellbeing, so they took me to a psychiatric hospital where I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. I stayed there for a month, receiving treatment.

Although I was already a member of the Universal Church, I realised that I hadn’t fully applied what I had learned in the church. The mental breakdown was the wake-up call I needed. After I was discharged, I returned to the church, spoke to the pastor about my experiences, and sought help. I started taking my spiritual development seriously and prayed for my life to change. I joined the chain of prayers on Mondays for my finances and on Sundays to grow closer to God.

In the church, I learned how to surrender my anxieties about finances to God and to trust Him wholeheartedly. I applied the teachings of the Word of God in my daily life and made a conscious decision to follow His will in every aspect of my life.

This commitment to faith brought about significant changes. Now I am debt-free and self-employed, and I feel secure in God's provision. My life has completely transformed since I surrendered my financial worries to God. I now live with hope and purpose and am grateful for the support that guided me along this journey.