On April 2, Good Friday, Christian actress Vivian Chow shared a video on China's Twitter Weibo, about her conversion journey.
Born in Hong Kong on November 10, 1967, Vivian Chow made her debut in TVB International Chinese New Talent Singing Championship in 1985, Her main works include "Vivian", "The Great Era", "Sword Horse Dan", and so on.
Chow began to go to church in 2009 and was baptized at Easter in 2010. She shared in the video that before she became a Christian, she was very stubborn. Since being strong and confident was necessary in the world, for decades, this had been the value she followed.
The singer and actress said, "I once questioned whether relying on religion is a sign of weakness. At that time, I didn't understand the concept of being 'saved by faith'. Because the Bible says 'by grace are ye saved through faith', believing in salvation is more important than our actions. Because the Bible says: 'Not of works, lest any man should boast'; I was so confused on how we can gain without hard work."
By chance, the celebrity talked to a friend about religion and Jesus. At that moment, she realized, "If the words in the Bible are true, if I did not believe in Jesus and not accept the salvation, I will not be qualified to enter heaven, even if my behavior is good enough. That is a big loss. I really don't want to have this loss."
Therefore, she tried to understand the Bible with an open heart rather than criticize.
She continued, "I especially wanted to understand what 'faith' is in the Bible, so I went to church, read the Bible, listened to sermons, and even participated in Bible study groups. When I learned more about the Bible, I realized that my life was changing step by step, to the extent where I am even willing to let go of the values that I have established for decades. It feels like I have returned to childhood, and now going in another direction. It is not easy, but God's huge power is enabling me to take this step."
After believing in the Lord, Chow changed much. The greatest difference was that she became humbler.
"Gradually, I took humility as the greatest principle. Humility does not mean we underestimate ourselves, but take more care of others' feelings and needs. I found that my perspective changed when I put down my needs, and I saw my disadvantages, people’s weaknesses and limitations. I can let go of many things I clung to. Now I know I don't need to follow secular values because they might not be the truth. Therefore, I don't need to care about others' perspectives too much. There is a clear direction in my life for me to deal with everything and make decisions," the singer stated.
"The most important thing is that I feel peace being with God in both good times and bad times, and I am more confident than when I was alone. I feel so happy when I no longer struggle to control my life and leave it to God to take care of. These are all the grace of God. He is not only prepared for me, but also for everyone. We don't need to rely on deeds or hard work, as long as we are willing to receive the grace, we will get it. Be it in good times or bad times in life, we all need to pray, trust and obey God's will. In it, I will see God's leadership and see how God clears the way for me so that I can greatly experience his presence.”
In 2014, she was touched to make a gospel album.
She explained "Because I hoped to share my testimony in a way that suits me. I believe that words combined with music are very contagious, so I decided to make this album with popular music and the gospel. This album is all about some topics in our lives that resonate with the general public. There is also a song written by me for God. It is about my happiness being with God. So, I am not afraid of falling or being weak, I know that God will give me peace and take care of me."
-Translated by Yuehan Jiang
