Once Amish, Once Addicted—Now Breaking Chains

Ben King was raised in the heart of Pennsylvania’s Amish country, where life was defined by simplicity, hard work, and tradition. As the sixth of ten children, Ben’s days were filled with farm duties and family, far removed from the influences of the modern world.

Ben recalls, “I remember 7, 8, 9 years old, getting up at 4:00 AM having to go out and get all the cows in from, from the field and help my dad with, with the milking and all of that. Working very hard at, at that age, and helping maintain the farm.”

Also central to Ben’s upbringing was faith in God, a faith he says was rooted in fear.  

Ben shares, “If you don’t abide by all of the rules or stay within the Amish belief system. It was kind of this fear-based teaching where If you don't do all of these things, maybe God won't love you. I remember, especially younger, even having dreams of me falling into hell and just being terrified.”

As he got older, he couldn’t help but notice the differences between his life and those outside his small community. At 14, driven by curiosity and isolation, he bought a cell phone in secret. The door to the “world beyond” had been opened.

Ben says, “Very quickly becoming addicted to pornography. I think I felt betrayed really when I learned about, sex in general, because I felt no one had told me anything or taught me anything.”

Adding to the addiction, was the guilt of not measuring up to God’s standards.

Ben shares, “I thought, because I can't please God, then what's the point? I don't think I'll ever be enough, so I may as well just live. So, I think maybe the pain of rejection was coming from that as well.”

By the time Ben was in high school, parties, drugs and alcohol became his escape from the growing emptiness in his life.

Ben recalls, “I reached points of despair and giving up and feeling like I hated myself but not knowing what to do about it.”

After a party, Ben was driving behind friends when their car collided with a semi-truck. Two of his friends were hospitalized with life threatening injuries. They would survive, but the incident left Ben shaken.

Ben remembers, “I remember seeing the back of the car where I had tried to get in the car, and it was totally crushed. And I remember having that picture in my mind for days, thinking I almost died. Like I actually felt like I don't want to do this anymore. But I felt powerless to change.”

Shortly after, people he knew began reaching out to tell him about God’s love for him. One of them was his older brother who had given his life to Christ.

Ben says, “He even mentioned God has called you to travel the world and to do things that you're not doing right now. And he just ended by saying, what are you doing? And I remember just feeling like there was this, like, it kind of hit me like, 'cause that was all that I had been feeling, like, what am I doing with my life?”

Then after a night of partying, Ben passed out in a field. When he woke up, he was alone, disoriented, and covered in vomit.

Ben says, “Where is everyone. I feel like I'm dying. Like, where are my friends? I need help. And I remember realizing like, oh they don't really care about me. I was still hitting rock bottom, like feeling so frustrated about where my life was.”

Desperate, he attempted suicide by swallowing a bottle of pills. It failed and Ben cried out to God.

Ben remembers, “God, if you're real, show me who you are. In a moment, like this divine presence flooded my room. And I remember feeling the love of God in such a deep way that I had never felt before. And feeling like for the first time I felt hope. I felt like there was purpose.”

At once, Ben began taking strides to turn his life around. Now instead of going to parties to abuse drugs and alcohol, he was going to church, praying, and studying the bible. After three months, he gave his life to Christ. When he was baptized, he says everything changed.

Ben shares, “I had finally gained a victory. And from that moment forward, I never went back to cigarettes. No more drugs, no more, depression, suicide, no more pornography. And Jesus really, set me free that day.”

Today, Ben and his wife are full-time missionaries, traveling the world sharing the gospel. He tells others that Jesus is real, and His love has the power to set them free.

Ben says, “I never thought I would be doing what I'm doing now, and God has redeemed my story. I will often share my story at different places. And so, God has done way more than I thought possible, with simple obedience. Jesus is the only one. He's the only God who proved His love by dying. Give your life to Jesus and give Him everything. He's worth it.”