Famous MMA fighter overcomes his 'darkness' by finding the light of God

By Talia Ramos (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
9/29/2015 (3 years ago)
Catholic Online (https://www.catholic.org)

Justin Wren was a famous professional MMA fighter but in the midst of his widespread success, he was addicted to drugs and admitted to a friend he needed help. The friend then told him something that would change his life forever.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA (Catholic Online) - In an interview with The Church Boys, Wren admitted he was in a "very dark, dark place" and wanted to escape his addiction. One of his friends told him about Jesus Christ and Wren responded, "I need a real answer, a real solution -and I don't need religion."

His friend told him, "Justin, real people with real problems really need a real God with real answers and real solutions . I promise you he's real and he really wants to love you."

"That's what I needed," Wren admitted during the podcast interview. "someone being real with me and not just telling me the churchy, biblical answer ... you've got to get on peoples' level, you've got to speak their language."

The conversation changed his life. 

"I don't want to make it sound cheesy or something magical, but man it was real," he said. "I felt . the love of God like a warm a blanket around me . I literally felt tingles all over, like a fire through my bones. I got on my knees and prayed . I knew I had had a heart change.

When he became a Christian, the experience was so profound that he proudly announced he had been a Christian for exactly 5 years, 4 months and 11 days.

One day, during a prayer meeting, Wren saw a vision that prompted him to fight and defend the Mbuti Pygmies in the Congo. The group had been harassed, persecuted and forced into slavery by surrounding populations.

That was when Wren realized that being a follower of Christ meant more than church attendance and prayer meetings.

He described the vision, which reminded him of watching a movie:

"I saw myself in the Congo. I didn't know it was the Congo. And there was the sound of drums and this very distinct but beautiful singing that was going on - and then when I got into the village I saw their ribs and knew they were suffering . I knew that they were hated."

"The thing that messed me up the most was that they felt forgotten - forgotten by people and by God," he added.

At the time, Wren had never traveled to the Congo and knew literally nothing about the Mbuti Pygmies' plight. After the vision, he quickly wrote down everything and shared it with a missionary friend. 

His friend told him who fit the description of the people he saw and four weeks later began a trek onto the village and saw that it was the same as that of his vision. 

Wren founded Fight for the Forgotten, which makes a "life-altering impact in the remote parts of the Congo jungle." 

Other than helping them free themselves from persecution and slavery, Wren is also working for sustainability programs. He continues to fight professionally in an effort to spread awareness for the cause and the good in being Christian, the Word and the life of Jesus Christ.

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