10/08/2026
PERSONAL TESTIMONY:
FROM SIN, BACKSLIDING, AND RESTORATION TO GOD'S MERCY
Before I surrendered my life to Jesus Christ, I was a churchgoer without genuine repentance. Though I attended church activities, my heart was far from God. I lived a worldly lifestyle and was deeply immersed in secular entertainment Music. My worldly nickname at the time was "Raymond Usher." I was very good in most of Usher Raymond songs, especially "U GOT IT BAD" that was my favourite song I could sing and demonstrate the breakdown dance....
One of my nieces nickname me "Uncle Many men" because I could sing that song of 50 Cent title: Many men many many many men wish d3@th upon me Lord I don't cry no more, don't look to the sky no more, have mercy on me Lord, have mercy on my soul, some time my life turns cool, have mercy on many men.... Very well.
Music became the center of my life. I was so passionate about worldly music that I could sing and rap many of the popular R&B and rap songs of the day. I loved attending parties and rap competitions. Whether I was at home, on the farm, in school, or even in church, music occupied my thoughts and attention. It gradually became my priority, my obsession, and my identity.
As my attachment to worldly pursuits of music increased, my relationship with God diminished. My life lacked direction and purpose. There came a period when I left home for years, and my parents did not know my whereabouts. Looking back today, I can clearly see that I was spiritually lost and desperately needed God's mercy.
By the grace of God, a turning point came in my life at Bantaji 2004/2005, Taraba State, where I genuinely repented of my sins and surrendered my life to Jesus Christ. There, I experienced the transforming power of the gospel. God forgave my sins, changed my heart, and gave me a new purpose for living.
After my conversion, I became passionate about serving God. I devoted myself to Christian service and evangelism. Those who knew me during those years can testify to the zeal and commitment with which I pursued the things of God.
However, as time passed and I began to pursue marriage, I made choices that drew me away from God's perfect will. Instead of patiently waiting for God's guidance, I drifted spiritually and eventually backslid. I entered a relationship arrangement that was outside God's design. What I thought would bring happiness eventually ended in pain and disappointment, because it was not approved by God.
Yet God's mercy did not abandon me.
Through that difficult experience, God reminded me that His plans are always better than our own. He graciously drew me back to Himself. The hunger and thirst for God that I had once experienced returned to my heart. I repented, returned to the Lord, and renewed my commitment to follow Him wholeheartedly.
As God continued to work in my life, He also gave me a new identity and a new vision. Through divine inspiration, I adopted the name Godly Success Survivor The Honest Grit Podcast. This name was born out of a personal covenant I made with God—that I would pursue success only in a godly way, without shortcuts, compromise, corruption, dishonesty, or ungodly gain.
The name also reflects the many painful experiences, trials, disappointments, setbacks, betrayals, and challenges that I have endured throughout my life's journey. By God's grace, I survived them all. Therefore, Godly Success Universal Technology Retail is not merely a name; it is a testimony of God's faithfulness, preservation, mercy, and sustaining power in my life.
My experiences have also strengthened my conviction to stand for righteousness. Because of what God has done in my life, I have developed a deep hatred for sin and everything that destroys human lives and dishonors God. I oppose dishonesty, stealing, lies, injustice, oppression, corruption, wickedness, and every form of evil. I believe that truth should never be sacrificed for personal gain.
Whether people appreciate me or criticize me for standing for the truth, my desire is to remain faithful to God and to a clear conscience. Over the years, I have lost opportunities, benefits, and advantages because I refused to compromise my convictions and faith. Yet I remain convinced that it is better to suffer loss while doing what is right than to gain temporary benefits through wrongdoing.
Life has not been without difficulties. I have experienced painful seasons, disappointments, betrayals, hardships, and challenges that tested my faith. Some of the experiences I have gone through are difficult to describe and have deeply shaped my journey. Yet through every trial, God has remained faithful.
In moments when I have faced situations beyond my strength, I have found comfort in God's Word:
"The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace." — Exodus 14:14.
I trust God to vindicate truth in His own time and according to His perfect wisdom. My confidence is not in revenge or retaliation, but in the righteous judgment and faithfulness of God. I also believe that anyone who is sincerely striving to live uprightly and facing hardship for doing what is right can find strength, comfort, and hope in God.
Today, my story is not one of personal achievement but of God's grace. If God could save me, restore me, preserve me through difficult seasons, and give me another opportunity to serve Him, then He can do the same for anyone who sincerely turns to Him.
The burden that eventually gave birth to The Gritpreneur Movement that was founded by me Ishaku Yusuf on 10th June, 2025 was rooted in this personal journey. It grew out of a desire to encourage people to embrace integrity, godly living, repentance, purpose, perseverance, and a genuine relationship with God. Its message is simple: success without integrity is failure, but true success is built upon faith, character, honesty, hard work, and obedience to God.
My Testimony Is Simple
🔹Sin promises pleasure but brings bo***ge.
🔹Backsliding brings sorrow and spiritual loss.
🔹God's mercy is available to those who genuinely repent.
🔹God's grace can restore what sin has damaged.
🔹Jesus Christ still saves, restores, and transforms lives today.
🔹True success is found in God's will and not in worldly shortcuts.
🔹Integrity is an investment that never loses its value before God.
If you are living in sin, return to God.
If you have backslidden, return to God.
If you have never surrendered your life to Jesus Christ, come to Him today.
The same God who changed my life can change yours. The same God who restored me can restore you. The same God who preserved me through life's storms can preserve you.
"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." — 2 Corinthians 5:17.
"The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand." — Psalm 37:23-24.
To God alone be all the glory 🙏
Purpose Over Pleasure
GOD IS MY CEO.
