The day arrived quietly.
There were no trumpets from heaven. No lightning flashed across the sky. No angel appeared at my door. To anyone watching, it would have seemed like an ordinary day.
But it was not.
That day would change my life forever.
For more than thirty years, I had carried a burden. It was invisible, yet it never left me. It followed me wherever I went—to church, into ministry, into eldership, into my prayers, and even into my sleep.
The burden was simple: I was a sinner.
And according to the Scriptures, "the wages of sin is death."
For years, I believed I understood exactly what those words meant. If sin brings death, then the solution must be simple: stop sinning.
That was the conclusion I reached as a child. It was the conclusion I carried into adulthood. It was the conclusion I taught to others.
And it was the conclusion that left me exhausted.
For decades I had tried to become righteous. For decades I had battled sinful thoughts and actions. The harder I tried, the more impossible righteousness seemed.
Then I met Pastor Lovedale Mulasikwanda.
I cannot remember every detail of that day, but I remember our conversation because it changed the course of my life.
After exchanging greetings, he asked a simple question.
"Brother Martin, how are you?"
Perhaps I had grown tired of pretending. Whatever the reason, I decided to be honest.
I told him about my struggle. I told him about the fear, guilt, and constant efforts to become righteous. I told him about the promises I had made to God, only to break them. I told him about becoming a deacon, then an elder, while still carrying deep uncertainty within.
I even told him about the signpost illustration that had pierced my heart.
When I finished, he remained silent for a moment.
Then he asked a question I did not expect.
"Martin, why do people sin?"
The question caught me off guard.
"Because they choose to," I replied.
He smiled gently.
"That is what most people think."
Then he opened his Bible.
"Let's see what God says."
At that moment, I had no idea that one simple question was about to challenge everything I had believed for more than thirty years.