“He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap.”
Psalms 113:7
I praise and thank the Lord for his abundant grace in my life. It is a joy to be part of the family of The Methodist Church in Singapore, and I am grateful for this opportunity to share my testimony for his glory.
I was born into an orthodox Hindu family and my forefathers were priests in the temple. From a young age, I worshipped the family deities. I was very pious and performed all the rituals daily. My father’s alcoholism brought much suffering on the family. As the only son with three older sisters, responsibility for the family fell on me at the age of 19. It was overwhelming and I prayed fervently to the Hindu gods to help me. But things remained the same.
It was during this time that a friend’s grandmother, who was my neighbour, shared Jesus with me. She shared about Jesus’ great love and his sacrifice for mankind. Initially, I argued with her but she did not give up and invited me to attend her church. She had poor eyesight so she would ask me to read the Bible to her. Out of respect, I would do it, but it invariably led to more questions and arguments.
One day, while I was debating with her, she suggested that I ask the “True God” to reveal himself to me. I took her suggestion as a challenge. Every day I sincerely desired for an encounter with this “True God”. As the days went by, my yearning to know God grew.
Later, as I was sharing about my restlessness with my friend’s grandmother, she assured me that I would find peace and purpose when I received Christ. As usual, I ignored her. While walking home, I heard a voice saying clearly in my ears, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.” I rushed back to tell her about it. She took out her Bible and showed me the exact verse from John 14:6. I was amazed!
I started to read different kinds of Christian literature—newsletters and magazines, testimonies of healings and miracles, biographies and life-changing experiences of servants of God. My friend’s grandmother introduced me to her pastor and he shared more about Christ and salvation with me. At the age of 21, I finally accepted Christ wholeheartedly and was baptised.
My family initially opposed my attending church but gradually accepted it. God blessed me with a good job in Singapore and a fine Christian woman to be my wife. In the 23 years since my conversion, all my family members have received salvation and are faithful to God. Great is his faithfulness!
I responded to God’s call to ministry in 2010 and God opened doors for me to study at Trinity Theological College. I graduated in 2014 and now serve as a pastor with Emmanuel Tamil Annual Conference. All glory to God!
Rev Saravana Kumar is a pastor at Sembawang Tamil Methodist Church. / Photo courtesy of Rev Saravana Kumar