008 - I Was The Prodigal Son
Today’s episode of Changing features Andres Escobar as he shares his journey that led him both away and back to Christ.
Andres grew up in faith. However, he struggled to fit in with those around him while maintaining his faith.
When he reached high school, he was determined to fit in with those around him. He turned to drugs, porn, and other vices that led him away from God.
Andres liked how these vices made him feel. He didn’t want to address the consequences associated with his actions. But he knew his current path wasn’t fulfilling, and he was living without purpose.
What changed?
At his lowest point in 2009, Andres had an emotional love affair. His wife, however, was able to forgive him, thinking, “if Jesus can forgive, so can I.” Her forgiveness inspired Andres and allowed him to develop his own relationship with Christ after seeing her strength.
While his relationship with Christ was growing, Andres was still unable to give up porn.
How did Andres surrender his vice?
At a church retreat in November of 2018, Andres found the right path. In a retreat activity, each attendee wrote something they wanted to surrender to God. Different people then threw one another’s struggles onto a fire. Andres chose porn.
Shortly after the retreat, he got fired from his job. Andres realized that fruit doesn’t grow in the mountains, but in the valleys - God was leading him on this path for a reason.
He met a man at a business conference, and that man eventually offered Andres his next job. That same man even credits Andres for leading him on his own path to God.
Now, Andres and his family live through Christ and live by the message “We must preach the gospel, and when necessary, use words.” - St. Francis.
Andres’s advice for someone starting a relationship with God? Find a few people with whom you connect, and do life with them. Be accountable for one another in your relationships with God, and be yourself.
Check out Andres’s business reviewbiz.io, and reach out to him via reviewbiz.io’s Instagram.
MUSIC CREDIT: Audio Jungle
(Note: This podcast is not an official podcast of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)
