Growing up I loved the stories of Greek and Viking heroes. I think I always wanted to be like these people. Even then, the idea of living with honour and integrity was very important to me.

When I left school I went straight to work in financial services – a career in which I had little interest and in which I certainly didn’t find much honour, integrity or selfless leadership.

I started playing rugby at school and carried on into adulthood and increasingly found my sense of identity and self worth in that environment.

In my late 20’s I met and married Lorna, who was a Christian, and I started attending church regularly but I never really engaged – I didn’t want to believe in God or Jesus.

Some years later I sustained an injury that stopped me playing rugby. Work was, if anything, less satisfying than ever and leadership at work was almost always self-serving not selfless.

Despite having a lovely wife and three great children I really started to feel quite lost and helpless. I had no idea what my life was all about or where I could find any self worth.

I clearly remember a baptism service I attended. The persons’ life story and their reasons for becoming a Christian were, despite being painful, full of hope BUT what really struck me was the sermon was about an episode in the life of King David (an important King in the Bible).

I remember thinking that he was a great leader like two of my heroes, King Alfred the Great and King Arthur.  More importantly, I realised that all these men would have followed Jesus and that therefore I could also follow Jesus and have a good model for leadership AND find genuine self-respect and honour.

I became a Christian that day (with some trepidation) and, while I still have little interest in financial services, have found strength and a purpose in that environment. It can still be a struggle but I honestly believe that Jesus does help me day to day and so does the Christian friendships that I have found.

Additionally, though I am still learning, I have found a greater sense of purpose in my private life and following Jesus, I have found, provides for more honour, in a more realistic way, than the beliefs on the ancient Greeks or the Vikings ever could.