Issue 1| 2023

PUBLISHER’S NOTE
More Than a Magazine
If you’d like to partner with
our magazine to deliver God’s
hope and to impact the lives of
incarcerated men and women,
visit victoriouslivingmagazine
.com. Your gift enables us to
send this magazine into prisons
around the nation. Each
magazine impacts many lives
for years to come.
God never ceases to amaze me. It’s
mind-boggling how He works behind
the scenes to bring to fruition
the plans He has uniquely purposed
for us. Day after day, God patiently pursues
us and lovingly draws us onto His path,
even though we fight hard against Him.
You’re about to read stories of people
who resisted God’s love and plan. Some
refused Him out of anger, blaming Him for
the pain that existed in their lives. Others
rebelled against Him, wanting to do things
their way, not His.
Years of living apart from God took
the subjects of our feature stories down
dark paths that brought much pain. But
God’s love pursued them, and everything
changed when they turned to Him.
There was a time when I didn’t trust His
love for me either. My young mind thought,
“If God sent His own Son to die—a Son who
was perfect—then what will He do to me?”
I couldn’t live up to His perfect standard
on my best day (Romans 3:23).
I didn’t understand the sacrifice He’d
made for me. Nor did I comprehend His
grace or desire to be part of my life. God
wanted my heart, not perfection or performance.
He wanted to give me a better,
purpose-filled life.
I grew up in the church and heard the
Gospel of Jesus Christ—how God had sent
His Son to die for my sin so that I could go
to heaven (John 3:16). I believed it wholeheartedly,
and at the age of eight, I accepted
Jesus as my Savior and was baptized. But
I did that out of fear of being sent to hell,
not because I understood God’s love for
me and not really because I loved Him.
For years, I imagined God sitting on His
throne of judgment, watching my every
move and analyzing my every thought. I
saw Him sitting on the edge of His seat,
gavel in hand, ready to bring forth punishment.
Being warned that “God’s watching
you” and listening to regular sermons on
God’s wrath and my need to be good helped
shape my unhealthy view of God.
When you’re afraid of someone, you
either try desperately to please them or
you keep your distance. I did both. Every
week, I went to church in my Sunday best.
I prayed at bedtime and before meals, and
I worked hard in school and sports. Oh,
and of course, I tried to be kind to people.
Yet, because I was determined to maintain
control of my life, I kept my distance
from God. If I surrendered my life to Him,
where would He take me? What would He
ask me to do or give up? I was too afraid to
find out, so I kept my faith in a nice, neat,
safe religious box. I wanted Jesus to be my
Savior, but not my Lord.
In my midtwenties, I faced bigger trials
than I could handle. Suddenly, my safe,
boxed-up religion wasn’t cutting it. Nothing
the world offered was helping either.
Finally, I cried out to God, and through
His Word, His Holy Spirit, my circumstances,
and other people, He revealed His true
nature and love for me. I quit stiff-arming
God and let Him draw me close (James
4:8). Understanding the depths of His
love gave me the courage to trust His plan
(Ephesians 3:18–19). And like everyone
else in this issue, my life has never been
the same.
God changed me; He made all things
new. Once I tasted and saw how good He
truly was, I couldn’t keep it to myself. Now,
I help others understand the goodness of
God, and this magazine is part of how I
do that.
It’s been more than 27 years since I
surrendered my life to the lordship of
Jesus Christ. I am so glad I did. Just look—
God’s plan has enabled us, you and me, to
cross paths! And I believe He wants to reveal
something about Himself to you today.
If there is anything our ministry can
do for you, please don’t hesitate to call.
Victorious Living is more than a magazine.
It’s a family.
Kristi Overton Johnson
Publisher & Executive Director
PHOTO BY TY JOHNSON
6 Issue 01 / 2023 VICTORIOUSLIVINGMAGAZINE.COM