My name is Aping, and I would like to share the story of my former life lost under Satan's power, and my rebirth in the Lord Jesus Christ.
After I graduated from high school, I started working at a chemical company owned by a family relative, where I essentially served as a business manager. At that time, an average employee earned only 500-600 yuan a month, but on a lucky day, I could earn 1,000-2,000 yuan, sometimes even 3,000-5,000 yuan in a day. I noticed the boss of a neighboring company playing mahjong, card games, and Three Card Poker, and I started to follow their example, gambling and playing mahjong.
Sometimes, when I had a streak of good luck, I could quickly win 1,000-2,000 yuan or even more. However, as I played more and more, I suddenly realized one day that I was losing every day. I never imagined that someone could set up a trap in gambling. At that time, I thought my luck would turn around in a couple of days! But eventually, I lost everything, even the capital for my business, and had no money for food. I later snuck into someone else's fishpond to catch a few small shrimp, and at night, I stole vegetables from someone else's garden to sustain myself.
Gradually, I began to reflect on my actions and resolved to break away from this degenerate, sinful lifestyle. But my gambling friends kept calling me, urging me to win back my losses. When I went back to gambling, I kept losing. I still wanted to win back everything I had lost, so I tried every means possible to deceive relatives and borrow money from friends. Eventually, I lost all credibility among them. My parents almost turned against me, and our family relationships nearly broke down completely.
Later, I saw many people whose families broke apart because of gambling, even leading to separations and divorces. I realized that I couldn't continue down this wrong path and had to completely sever ties with my former self.
At that time, I was just fired from my company, which helped me break away from the gambling circle. I then joined a volunteer charity service organization.
In 2012, I encountered Christianity and accepted Jesus Christ. Before embracing my faith, I only relied on my subjective understanding and feelings to decide what to do. After I became a believer, the Bible provided me with moral standards worth following. Moreover, I found true dependence on the Lord. For instance, when I felt lost or troubled, I could pray and cast all my anxieties on the Lord. Over the years, I have experienced the Lord's faithful help at every crucial moment.
Therefore, my current mental state is excellent; I feel secure and hopeful.
- Edited and translated by Abigail Wu
