Steven_Goss
“I was anxious to get out from under myparents’ authority…”
In my youth I was the type of person who would try anything once,especially if I thought it would get me into the “in” crowd. Thosedays were characterized by experiments with alcohol and drugs, dabblingin philosophy, and wondering whether I would find real meaning inanything. After high school I was anxious to get out from under myparents’ authority so instead of going to college, on their money, Ijoined the Navy. It turned out to be a rude awakening in some ways;there were some hard lessons including an evening in jail, and my tryanything once lifestyle more than once got me into real trouble.
By the time I had completed four years of my six year enlistment I wasgetting tired of life in what I thought was the “fast lane”. Thedrunken carousings and weekends of “thrill sports” left me feeling moreempty than before. I was curious about the true meaning of life andhad talked to people involved in transcendental meditation and a cultgroup, but never fully committed to either. Several people had evenshared the Gospel of Christ with me, and because of my parentsinfluence I always thought in the back of my mind that Christ was theanswer.
Finally, at the end of December in l978 I met a guy on my ship whoasked me if I was a Christian … to which I responded “No, I joinedthe Navy to get away from all that church stuff.” He told me thatChrist didn’t come to start a religion, and I was surprised that thisguy knew where I was coming from and had a past much like mine. Hetold me of how he had accepted Christ and been changed, while Irecalled the changed lives I had seen in other friends. When I askedtough questions about things I didn’t understand or bothered me, he wasable to show me verses in his Bible that clearly explained God’s truth.I remember in particular Romans 5:8 “But God commendeth His lovetoward us in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Mynew friend, Jack, said, “Since He died for you, in your place, youdon’t have to die!”
I was thinking real hard of the things he had said and of the words wehad read together from his Bible. He didn’t have to convince me that Iwas a sinner. I kept thinking of the “newness” of 2 Corinthians 5:l7″Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old thingsare passed away; behold, all things are become new.” I wondered whatit would be like to trade that empty feeling for a new life; andinstead of wondering what truth was, to know that I had the truth.
When Jack asked me if I wanted to pray and recieve Christ I said”Yes!” and we prayed right there. He had warned me that becoming aChristian was an act of faith and wouldn’t necessarily produce afeeling, but I felt a calm assurance that I had done the right thingand that the rest of my life would be different … new.
Jack loaned me a Bible and as I began reading it I was amazed at thepromises and truths available to those who are properly related to God.I began to change from the way I had been before … I was surprisedat the language the saliors around me used, even though I had cursedwith the worst of them; I began to dislike rock music and got rid ofmany of the record albums I had; and I lost my interest in TV andmovies.
At my next duty station I met other Christians that were learning aboutJesus Christ from the Bible, and during that time I also met aChristian girl that I dated and later married. After several years ofmarriage, my wife and I are glad that we have Christ in our marriage,and as we observe the world around us we are glad that God gave us aclear plan in the Bible for our life together, and glad that He haspromised to provide for our needs. We have been encouraged to see Godcome through when we prayed according to His will during times where weotherwise could not see an answer.
Steven Goss