Burgy: A Product Of God’s Amazing Grace

Posted by yuklid on Jan 27, 2011 in Life Stories | 1 comment

I grew-up in a family that you can classify as Sunday Christians. Every Sunday I attended Sunday school and there I heard different stories from the Bible and what Jesus Christ did for us. But I never really fully understood what it all meant. I thought as long as I attended church with my family everything would be fine.

During my elementary and high school days, I had, in a teenager’s point of view, a cool life. I was popular, did well in my academics, and was even part of our basketball varsity. I lived a carefree life. At a young age, I started drinking, partying, and having immoral relationships. Drinking was my major problem and it took its toll on me when I was in my 2nd year in high school. Every weekend I would go to parties and find myself getting drunk. There were even times that I would come to school drunk. My parents told me to stop drinking, I said I would, but I really didn’t. To add to that, I was also a bully in school. I cursed my classmates and even threatened them that I would beat them up and even kill them if they didn’t respect me. If I didn’t get the respect that I wanted from people, I became hostile to them. I thought that because I was a son of a Police officer, I was untouchable and could do anything I wanted. But praise God for His hand of protection. Even if I lived that way, He didn’t allow me to get into fistfights or any major trouble.

Truly, God had different plans for my life. In 2008, my parents told me to join a Jzone sem-break retreat called Eureka. I was hesitant because I thought that I wouldn’t fit in and that people wouldn’t like me because I was too sinful. The day before the retreat I partied and even got drunk causing me to go to camp with a hangover. In this camp, I honestly thought that the people around me were weird, I didn’t understand why they were so happy and singing to Lord like there was no tomorrow.

Slowly, God opened my eyes. I learned how He loves us so much that He gave His Son, Jesus for the atonement of our sins. I learned that no matter what sins I’ve committed, He is able to forgive me and show me His Amazing grace, if I received Him as my Lord and Savior. First thing that came in to my mind was that this promise was too good to be true. I was full of flaws and I thought I would never be forgiven because of my sinfulness. But God was impressing in my heart that I should just trust him. I knew that I wouldn’t be able to understand it all there. I had so many questions and doubts, but I took a leap of faith and I knew that I had to walk with him so that I would understand. Next thing I knew. I was singing to God and crying out to him and that I wanted to spend my life with Him in eternity. It was then that I could say that I truly accepted him in my life.

When I started my walk with God, I understood little by little that He wants the best for me. I joined a Dgroup and attended our family Bible studies. It was there that I found myself loving and growing in the Lord. But there were still some things that were hindering me from fully experiencing the life that God wanted me to have. I was living a double life, I still engaged in partying and drinking. But God kept on telling me to stop and change my ways. In Romans 12:1 it says, “Therefore, I urge you brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God- this is your spiritual act of worship.”

During this time, I was also in an exclusive relationship with a girl for three years and a half. God convicted me and told me to offer my entire self to him and to end the relationship. It was really hard to let go, I told God, “Lord, anything but this.” Deep inside I knew that God had the final say and in order for me to receive His blessings, I had to be committed to Him and Him alone. I eventually broke up with my then girlfriend. Though it hurt, God gave me peace and I experienced His love like I never experienced before.

Not too long after that, I experienced God’s blessing through my wonderful family, people from Jzone, and serving Him in ministry. Today, God has called me to serve Him by leading teenagers like myself to know about Christ and have a meaningful relationship with him. God has also been using me and other Jzoners in His mighty work in spreading His Word in our campus, Mapua Institute of Technology through Bible studies and random evangelism. God is indeed Great!

I am a product of God’s amazing grace. I never thought that God would use someone like me in proclaiming His Word. He is still at work in my life and my life is far from being perfect. I still experience a lot of struggles and temptations but I know that God is faithful and that He has freed me from the bondage of sin. He has truly transformed my life. My faith in Christ is growing each day and He is helping me conquer my struggles and temptations. It says in Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Him who gives me strength.” Please pray for me as I continue my walk with God and as I serve Him in ministry. I am a guy full of flaws but God showered me with his grace and mercy. I am Burgy Doria, a servant of God, a Jesus Zone. To God be all the glory, power, and praise!!!