Donald Hazelett

I grew up in West Virginia and went to church with my family. I was 10 years old when I committed my life to Jesus, but I never felt worthy. I just didn’t think I was good enough to please God. I tried to follow all the rules, but I didn’t always live up to them and I became very frustrated. The guilt drove me crazy. My parents reassured me that God loved me, but I still felt so unworthy. I thought Jesus was mad at me every time I messed up.

I gave up and rebelled against God in my teenage years. I was angry and frustrated. I started seeking the approval other kids who were very different than me. They experimented with drinking, atheism, and sex – and they wanted me to be like them. I realized that I had to choose. It was either follow them or seriously follow Jesus. Even these kids saw that I was playing in the middle where I didn’t belong. God was steering me back to His side and away from a horrible decision.

In 1993, I realized that Jesus’ death on the cross made me worthy in God’s eyes. I finally stopped trying to be worthy and accepted what He did for me. The weight of guilt and frustration were off of my life. The guilt was gone and it still is! I stopped worrying about what others thought about me and stopped trying to get their approval. I’m really not worthy and that is a beautiful thing to accept. Jesus loved me anyway and made me worthy. He’ll do the same for you if you let Him.

Donald Hazelett