Joseph Arhavbarien
Joseph
Arhavbarien
Joseph and his family moved from London to Leighton Buzzard almost a decade ago. He and his wife Kathryn are industry based professionals making entrepreneurial in roads into food business and consultancy.
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...at about aged 9, our native elders called Dad to accept a hereditary royal title. After his coronation, everything changed.
As a child in Nigeria, my life was totally turned around when my dad was given a hereditary title.
I was born into a Roman Catholic family and that was all I knew until, at about aged 9, our native elders called Dad to accept a hereditary royal title. After his coronation, everything changed. We stopped attending mass at the Holy Cross Cathedral, Lagos Island – the fame and prestige of Dad’s title meant we had to follow tradition and worship a native family deity.
This was difficult for a young lad to resist, so I followed along until, as a teenager, I uniquely encountered the real, true God. At 13, powerfully understanding the cross of Jesus and his love for me meant I gave my life to Christ and began resisting my dad’s ‘orders’. Our once peaceful home became like hell on earth. It was difficult to say ‘no’ under Dad’s influence so, despite my new faith in Jesus, my early years as a Christian were up-and-down. I struggled to find the strength to stand for what I now believed. I’ve always been obedient to my parents and loved each aspect of their parenting – except worshipping another god.
Some years later, I got to know about the work of the Holy Spirit and asked God for forgiveness for my inner weakness. I was baptized and prayed for God’s anointing to break every harmful influence and control over my spiritual life. God gave me a new boldness.
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Things got so heated at home that Dad threatened to disown me and throw me out of the family. At this point, with God’s help, I chose to hold fast to my faith in Jesus.”
One day my dad insisted I obey our family deity. As Dad’s firstborn, it was a huge taboo not to comply as I’m heir to his revered title. But, even under his very stern instruction, I said I chose to serve God through Jesus Christ, rather than follow this way. Things got so heated at home that Dad threatened to disown me and throw me out of the family. At this point, with God’s help, I chose to hold fast to my faith in Jesus. With weeping, my Mum begged Dad not to go to the extreme of disowning his firstborn – normally unheard of! Thankfully, Dad relented.
As years passed by, Dad left me to my ways to serve the living God. I grew in grace and have preached and shared the good news ever since. What God did in me helped my siblings and Mum to accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour and in later years, my dad too saw God’s grace in my life. He was led to trust Jesus before he died.