An honest conversation with Josh Pedro about faith, purpose and keeping your eyes fixed on Jesus in today’s world.
We are living in a world full of distractions, constant pressure and competing messages, what does it genuinely look like to be a godly man and follow Jesus?
Society often tells men that their value comes from success, status, strength and what they can achieve. Scripture, however, says something very different. A man’s identity isn’t found in how much money he makes, how strong he is or how others perceive him. A man’s identity is found in Christ.
I recently sat down with a friend to talk about his faith journey, the challenges Christian men face in this generation and how he keeps his eyes fixed on God through it all. Our conversation touched on identity, purpose, temptation & the importance of pursuing Christ above everything else.
Here is what Josh had to say:
Q1 How would you describe your walk with God at this stage in your life?
“I’d describe it as good. I used to be very inconsistent but now I’ve built a rhythm of reading the Word and praying daily. I say ‘good’ because I know it can always grow. My desire is to go deeper by spending more time studying the Word, praying and worshipping but for now, I’m focused on consistency and building strong habits with God.”
Q2 What was the turning point that made you want to follow God?
“I grew up hearing Bible stories and knowing about God, I was baptised at a young age but during secondary school, I drifted and wasn’t really living out my faith. Everything changed when I attended a summer camp later on in school. Through the preaching and the vulnerability of the leaders, I was deeply impacted. I felt God speak clearly to me and I knew I needed to take my faith seriously.”
“From that moment, I realised I couldn’t just carry the title of a Christian, I needed to live it out in nature and in truth.”
Q3 What does your relationship with God look like in your everyday life?
“I usually start my day with prayer and devotion, thanking God for a new day. Gratitude is a big part of my walk with Him. I also spend time in the Word and pray throughout the day. I try to stay in constant conversation with God. Music is also important to me. I listen to AfroGospel and I’m very intentional about what I allow into my mind. I used to listen to secular music but I noticed it was affecting me, so I made the decision to stop. Serving is another key part of my life, I try to serve whenever I can.”
Q4 What habits have helped you grow spiritually?
“A big one is removing distractions, things like certain music and what I watch. I’m also intentional about my friendships and the people I surround myself with because they influence my walk with God. Overall, I’ve learned that intentionality is key. I try to be deliberate in my relationship with God and I fast at the start of each month to reset, refocus and seek Him more deeply.”
Q5 How do you stay consistent, especially when you don’t feel spiritually ‘on fire’?
“For me, being around other believers really helps. I’m quite extroverted, so being in church and around friends who are also passionate about God encourages me to stay consistent. Seeing other people’s journeys with God keeps me accountable and inspired. It reminds me that I’m not doing this alone.”
Q6 In a world where casual relationships, drinking, social media and vaping are normalised, how do you stay set apart?
“I’ve had to really understand who I am and what I’ve been called to. As followers of Christ, we’re called to pick up our cross, deny ourselves and follow Jesus daily. That starts with knowing God, understanding who He is, what He says and what He’s called me to. When I’m rooted in that, it helps me discern what I should and shouldn’t be part of.”
“Fasting has also been really important for me. When you deny yourself and allow the Spirit to fill you, there’s a satisfaction that nothing else can give. God brings a sense of security and identity that the world can’t offer. Once you understand who you are in Him, you realise you don’t need all the other things. It’s about staying disciplined and grounded in God.”
Q7 What do you do when temptation comes and what are you actively struggling with in your walk with God?
“When temptation comes, I turn to God in prayer and I also speak to trusted, godly friends for accountability.”
“One thing I’ve learned is to immediately reject negative thoughts. I don’t dwell on them anymore. I literally say ‘no’ to them and remind myself that I’m a child of God. I don’t think like that, speak like that or live like that anymore.”
“Because when you start entertaining a thought, it can grow into action. So I’ve learned to shut it down quickly and replace it with the Word and worship.”
“One area I’m actively working on is procrastination. Sometimes I delay things and end up missing opportunities or creating unnecessary pressure, so I’m learning to be more disciplined and intentional with my time.”
Q8 Have you ever felt distant from God? What did that season look like?
“Yes, I have. The lowest point for me was towards the end of secondary school, when I was living in a way that didn’t match what I believed. There were times when I knew I had sinned and I felt distant from God because of the shame I carried. At times, I felt like I couldn’t come close to Him. But I’ve learned that God never actually leaves. Like the story of the prodigal son, He is always ready to forgive and welcome us back.”
Q9 What’s one thing young Christian men struggle with that isn’t spoken about enough?
“One big thing is mental health.”
“A lot of young men feel pressure to be strong and to have everything together so they don’t open up about what they’re going through. But God cares about our whole being; heart, soul and mind. What has helped me is knowing my identity in Christ and having strong community around me, i.e people I can be honest with and pray with.”
Q10 What has God been teaching you recently?
“Recently, God has been teaching me patience in seasons of waiting, especially as I look for direction for my future. He’s also been showing me the importance of making Him my whole life, not just part of it. I’ve been learning to stay in the Word throughout the day, not just in the morning and to continually rely on Him.”
Q11 What does being a ‘man of God’ look like to you in this generation?
“To me, it means reflecting the love of Jesus, which is selfless, sacrificial and pure. In relationships especially, it looks like praying together, studying the Word together, going to church together, serving together, and even fasting together. These are things that help keep Christ at the centre.”
Q12 How do you keep God at the centre of your relationship in a practical way? What challenges come with it?
“One of the biggest challenges is selfishness because in a relationship you’re learning to put someone else before yourself. Another challenge is physical temptation, which requires strong boundaries and discipline. I’ve learned that the best approach is to avoid temptation completely rather than trying to see how close you can get to it, like staying away from a cliff edge. It takes communication, accountability and clear boundaries to honour God in a relationship.”
Q13 If you could give advice to your younger self, what would it be and why?
“I would say don’t waste time trying to please people or chasing money. Neither of those things will truly fulfil you. Only Jesus can do that. I’d also say make a decision, be fully in or fully out and don’t live in the middle.”
What stands out from this conversation is not perfection, but pursuit. This is not a story of someone who has everything figured out but of someone actively choosing to follow Jesus daily & doing so by being disciplined, staying accountable and desiring to remain close to Jesus.
His journey is a reminder that being a man of God in this generation is not about having it all together but about continually choosing Christ in the middle of pressure, distraction and temptation.
Ultimately, it comes back to this: identity is not found in what you achieve but in who you belong to.
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