Traffic officer brought to true understanding of faith

n Thai Traffic officer Tawin Srisarakan

UDON THANI, Thailand — Tawin Srisarakan started attending church 22 years ago when he married a Christian woman, but he did not feel close to God in his heart.

As he went about his work as a traffic officer in the booming northeastern city of Udon Thani, he felt he was living a double life – he appeared to say and do the right things in church but behaved in a different way at home and work. He eventually became uncomfortable with this contrast.

Bored

“I became bored with my worldly lifestyle and hoped that somehow there would be a change in me,” he said.

This change came when the pastor of his church invited him on a visit to Christian communities in the neighbouring country of Laos, only 75 kms (47 miles) away from Udon Thani. Laos is a communist country that is closed to the Gospel and life for Christians there is extremely difficult.

The courage of the Christians he met had a profound effect on Mr Srisarakan. Their faith had cost them dearly and for the first time he understood what it meant to truly commit to God.

“After that visit I began to value Christianity and decided to live a fully Christian lifestyle,” he explained.

His Bible, which he had hardly touched since he had received it as a gift on his wedding day, became a source of strength and encouragement to him. He particularly valued Matthew 6, when Jesus tells his disciples not to worry about what to eat or wear but to seek the kingdom of God first.