When Good Isn’t Good Enough, Jesus Is.
My name is Amit Das. For the past six years, my wife Nina, our 12-year-old son Ethan, and I have been part of the CityBridge community. Today, I'm honored to share how Jesus transformed my life.
I was born in Mumbai, India, to parents from different religious backgrounds—my father nominally Christian and my mother Hindu. While we occasionally attended church on Christmas and Easter, and sometimes visited Hindu temples, there was no authentic faith practice in our home. As James 2:19 reminds us: "You believe that God is one. You do well. Even the demons believe—and they shudder."
Before finding Christ, three major areas of brokenness defined my life:
Childhood Trauma: From a very young age, I experienced sexual abuse around age 4. By age 10, I encountered explicit material, and a classmate further pulled me into sexual perversion. Satan had established a foundation of immorality in my life, and I was captive to the darkness of lust.
Family Struggles: I grew up in what I can only describe as a hostile environment. The verbal and occasional physical abuse made me frequently wish I could run away from home. I carried the heavy burden of feeling neglected and belittled.
Health Challenges: From childhood, I suffered from acute asthma. Many nights I had to sleep sitting upright, struggling to breathe. In my teenage years, an inhaler finally brought some relief—not curing the condition but making it more manageable.
This was my life before Jesus—filled with neglect, shame, guilt, fear, and sickness.
Well enter Jesus, fulfilling the promise in Isaiah 61:1: "Jesus comes to bring good news to the afflicted; He binds up the brokenhearted. He sets captives free."
Just before my 18th birthday, something extraordinary happened. One morning, as I sat in our living room, I felt an unmistakable urge to pick up the Bible from our shelf. With a sense of urgency I'd never felt before, I opened it and was drawn to the Book of Acts.
I was amazed to discover how a perfect God relates to imperfect people who put their faith in Jesus. Every word spoke directly to me, as Hebrews 4:12 says—"His word is living and active." Within just 3-4 days, I read through the entire New Testament. During this time, I grew closer to Jesus as I embraced God's teachings. I began to understand the true meaning of repentance, forgiveness of sins, new life, the Holy Spirit's presence, and the hope of Christ's return. This transformation was so evident that my family quickly noticed the change in me.
One scripture became particularly meaningful—the story of Jesus walking on water during a storm and Peter attempting to join him:
“But when he saw the strength of the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink, cried out, ‘Lord, save me!”
Jesus immediately reached out to save Peter. This broke me to tears. I saw myself as Peter—drowning in darkness, bound by lust, shame, neglect, and hopelessness. Peter had nothing to offer Jesus except his desperate cry in the midst of doubt and fear. Yet Jesus saved him. That is grace.
As I read about Jesus healing the sick, I took a step of faith. Gasping for breath during an asthma attack, I prayed, "Father, from now on, please be my inhaler. Breathe into me and heal me of this asthma." I took a deep breath and thanked God for healing, believing I had already received it. Amazingly, from that day forward, my asthma problems disappeared.
Because of Jesus:
I have a Father—I belong to God, no longer neglected
I am free—God placed His word in my heart, freeing me from lust
I am healed—no more gasping for air
My Christian journey began with the euphoria of having crossed the Red Sea. God surrounded me with wonderful Christ-followers who helped me learn and grow in devotion. But then came times of testing in the wilderness, and I began to struggle.
The valleys grew deeper and longer. Spiritual laziness and compromise crept into my life. My discipline of abiding in Jesus's word diminished. This gradually opened doors to deception, pride, performance-based thinking, and the return of lustful thoughts.
I began to view God as a harsh judge. I might win five spiritual battles, but one loss would make me feel like I'd lost everything. I was caught in a cycle of defeat and discouragement.
My understanding of repentance became distorted—I thought I needed to clean myself up before approaching God. I felt God had given up on me because of my failures. My impatience grew, not knowing how to wait upon the Lord. This unhealthy spiritual state affected my marriage, and I failed to love and lead my wife as Christ loves the Church. I kept wondering, "How could this happen? Am I cut off from God?"
In desperation, I surrendered everything to Jesus in prayer. Day after day, I immersed myself in Scripture, especially Ephesians 1, Psalm 23, and Romans 5. Gradually, like the walls of Jericho, things that were not of Christ began falling away. I started seeing Jesus for who He truly is again. My marriage, family life, and church involvement all began to heal and grow, drawing me closer to Him.
Jesus emphasized to me John 15, where He says,
“Abide in Me and I in you... that My words abide in you, and then you shall bear fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.”
I've learned that we don't live on bread alone but on every word from Jesus, and we're called to "long for the pure milk of the word" (1 Peter 2:2). When God speaks through His word, He reveals Himself to us, and He never fails to keep His promises. As Isaiah 55:11 says,
“His word will not return to Him void; His word will accomplish all that He desires.”
None of this comes from my own efforts. It is entirely the work of His enduring Spirit within me.
