Spiritual Life
Reasons to Believe
Religions & Sects
Church History
Theology
Philosophy
Ethics
Interviews
Testimonies
In the News
Miscellaneous
Faith & Reason Press Speaker's Forum Links Resources About Us

Testimony of a Former Drug Addict

Michael King

I am 22 years old and was born and raised in Monroe, LA. My parents raised me with a strong Christian upbringing, in a good home with strong morals and values. I accepted the Lord and was baptized at age 9. My life was really good as a child. In 5th grade, my dad took his life. A tremendous void was created. I couldn’t understand why this would happen. I had never experienced such a void, such emptiness. All at once my life seemed confusing and empty.

Two years later, when I was 13 and starting 8th grade, my mom re-married. It was tough to have a new step-father and try to accept him into OUR family. At the same time I noticed that the void I was feeling continued to grow and I didn’t know how to deal with it. I had been diagnosed ADD. I began to accidentally believe that's who I was(identity) instead of just focusing on the problem, so I never tried my hardest in school out of fear that if I really couldn't make the grades when I did put forth my best I would be rejected by the one's who loved me the most. I really would feel like a failure. I always felt that I had to be somebody else or become this person everybody would like in hopes to fill this void. I turned my hurt and energy towards athletics. I had always been good at sports and thought I could escape by involving myself in this fully. I found that I loved the action, attention and friendships I was having while involved in sports. I soon realized that my fulfillment was too short lived. Sports wasn’t quite the answer. I still had this void in me and it kept coming back. Then in 10th grade, I began to rebel. Beginning with marijuana and eventually harder drugs. I began partying to fill the void, sneaking out at night “to party”. As I got older partying continued and got worse. All the while, trying to find Michael King and who he was. My mom was so afraid of losing my brother or me that as my rebellion became more transparent she became more overprotective, which I feel now was bad because all I was really trying to do is become independent and prove to myself and my family that I could make it and be somebody. Also as I look back I see now that all the Christian upbringing I had was just head knowledge, and I had learned how to "be a Christian", but never had a genuine heart to heart relationship with Jesus Christ. Also I based myself as a Christian on my experience I had at age 9 when I was baptized. But as time progressed my relationship with God was lost. I was never able to decide or discover who I was or what I could achieve. I became so frustrated with the way my life was going.

In August of 1998, after I graduated high school I somehow got into college. With a brand new start and a baseball career as incentive I moved away to go to school. I thought that by getting away from my parents, drugs, and “friends”, I could get a fresh start and do it my way. Well things got progressively worse. The more I rebelled, the more my mom kept trying to influence me. She was always telling me what I should do and how I should do it. My rebellion was in full swing at this point. All this while I kept trying to figure out who Michael King was. Still the tremendous void and hurt was in my heart. Depression set in and soon followed run-ins with the law. Arrests for “possession”, D.W.I.’s , school failures, my baseball career ending, having trouble holding jobs, all this was happening around the same time - my life was unraveling! I was, also, diagnosed with bi-polar disorder which added to my frustrations. Again, trying to fill this constant void, which by now was only getting bigger. Drugs, alcohol, women, none of them could fill this emptiness. I was really frustrated and had pretty much given up with very little or no hope in my life. All the while, my mother kept on me about my need to turn to the Lord, and away from the friends and lifestyle I had chosen. My mom meant well in the love she was showing me, but it was a love that drove her to be overprotective because of the loss of my dad. As I continued to try and pull apart in rebellion it really did hurt me to see me hurting my mother. But at this point the people and influence I had surrounded myself with I felt that this was the only way I could go to find out who I was without my parents trying to do it for me this time.

About a year and a half ago, I came to the realization that “my” way wasn’t working. After crying out to Jesus, I became aware of the Teen Challenge program in Southern California. In October of 2000, in Shafter Teen Challenge, I was broken and gave it all to God. My heart began to soften and I decided to rededicate my life and give everything to Him. It was here that I discovered who Michael King was created to be -a child of God! I began to put all that head knowledge of God into my heart and began to grow and mature as a Christian and most of all, a personal; intimate, genuine relationship with God through my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. I felt a transformation take place, the void I had been searching to fill was closing, as I surrendered more of me and drew closer to Him and His will for my life. The Lord has many things in my life spiritually, mentally, and physically. He's restored a friendship between my mom and I, have a great relationship with my stepdad. My Lord continues to prove Himself to me more and more through His faithfulness, LOVE and unconditional acceptance. Words truly can't describe what He's done in my heart.

I'm preparing for a return to College now to minor in history and major in physical ed. I am now confident in who I am and where the Lord is guiding and directing my life. AMAZING GRACE !

In His Grip,
Michael King