From Trauma to Triumph

Join Apostle Priji in this inspiring conversation with George Ebenezer as he shares his powerful life testimony and how God has called him to lead the younger generation and bring healing to those dealing with emotional trauma.

Transcript:

Apostle Priji: Hello everybody, welcome back to another new season on Leadership Talk. We are so glad to have each and every one of you join us. It’s been a while since we have done a Leadership Talk podcast, and we are so glad to resume this and have you join along with us on today’s morning conversation.

I have a very dear and special man of God who has joined us on this morning’s podcast, and I just want to get right into it. Thank you, George, for joining us. The Lord has been using George to reach the next generation, raising a lot of children, training them, helping them, counseling them, and ministering to them. Thousands of kids all over the world have been blessed because of his ministry, and many leaders currently serving the Lord are products of the hard work he has done.

We are so excited to have you on this podcast and would love to get to know you a little bit more. Would you please give us a glimpse of your story—how you encountered God, how you chose to serve Him, your vision, and how you are serving the Lord today?

George: First of all, thank you, Priji, for the invitation. It’s always a joy to talk about leadership, especially concerning the next generation.

My story, in short, is that I grew up in a very difficult life. When I was about 18 months old, my dad poured gasoline on my mother and burned her. She was only 23 years old. My father later married another lady—my stepmom—and she had a baby. When my stepbrother was nine months old, my drunkard father killed him.

I grew up in a house where I was beaten and abused. I was sexually abused from a very young age, and my life was full of violence and neglect. Half the time, I didn’t stay at home—I ran away, slept on the streets, and grew up in different parts of Chennai, often eating from trash cans and sleeping with street dogs. Though I technically had a home, it was a place of constant conflict, so I avoided it as much as possible.

I studied in a small village school. At that time, if someone had told me that I would one day travel to over 30 countries and speak to over 700,000 children and teenagers, I would have laughed. With my damaged inner script, it was impossible to believe that anything good could come from my life.

I didn’t initially want to go into ministry. My father was an evangelist, and I witnessed how he lived a double life. He would preach, but his actions at home were far from godly. I didn’t want anything to do with ministry and told God I would never serve in that way. But later, I learned never to say “never” to God.

As a young boy, I dreamed of being a sportsperson, and I pursued it for a while. But God began sowing seeds in my heart when I started spending time at a local orphanage near my home. There were about 25 children there, and my heart connected with them deeply. I believe that’s when God began to plant a burden in my heart for abused and neglected children.

Today, I am a counselor and trauma specialist, working with abused children, teenagers, and their families. We have a nonprofit organization that helps children from difficult backgrounds and are in the process of building India’s first emotional trauma center.

Apostle Priji: Wow, George. That’s incredible. Your story is so powerful. Every time I hear you speak, I sense your deep passion for the next generation. It’s so clear that it’s part of who you are, not just something you do as an occupation.

I’d love to know more about your family. How did that come about?

George: I have 14 kids—10 adopted, 2 biological, and 2 foster children. I often tell them that while I thought I was giving life to them, they have given life to me. These children have brought so much healing to my heart through their love and honor.

Apostle Priji: That’s beautiful. Speaking in the context of leadership, many of us carry unresolved trauma or patterns from our past into our adult lives. Often, these affect our relationships, families, and even our roles as leaders.

How can leaders identify these areas in their lives, connect the dots, and allow God’s love to bring healing to those deep wounds?

George: You’ve brought up such an important point, Priji. Many of us develop coping mechanisms over time to avoid dealing with past hurts. But I’ve learned that God is very interested in those areas we try to keep hidden. Because he wants to heal, he doesn’t want to trigger us—though it will be triggering. He wants to heal, he wants to redeem us. He wants to give us back all of those things that the locusts have eaten, to restore us with manifold blessings.

One of the steps, I would say, is for us to be very intentional about our life—our walk, our social life, emotional life, our place within the family, or whatever space we find ourselves in. To be very intentional about it.

And I would always say, the secret comes from the secret place—where I keep meeting with the Lord. Meeting with Him, He gently brings certain things up. You might think, “Okay, Lord, help me deal with this,” and you do. Then you feel like you’re done with that, and He brings something else up. You might say, “Lord, I never thought this was there.”

And then something else comes up again. To walk with the Lord means to be very honest with Him. We can’t fake, hide, or pretend.

Today, masking has become a big thing, even for leaders. Sometimes as leaders, we’re so caught up in doing things that our identity comes from what we do rather than who we are.

Before I advance the kingdom, I want to abide in the King. I need to be sheltered. “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.”

When we intentionally walk with the Lord, He helps us deal with life’s issues.

Unfounded fears, unresolved baggage, and uncrossed bridges are key areas to focus on. Often, these fears keep us from walking by faith or making decisions. But when we walk with the Lord, He pulls us out of these places and transforms them into blessings for others.

Leaders, we must pause. Don’t get caught in the cycle of constant doing. For example, my wife and I take a break every three months. Not for sightseeing, but to retreat—just to meet with the Lord, rest, and reconnect with each other. This helps us maintain emotional well-being and rest in the Lord.

Success looks different for everyone. It’s not just about achieving more or being more productive. Instead, it’s about abiding in the King.

Now, about helping children and teenagers:
As adults—parents, teachers, pastors—we play a big role. First, we need to see and value their preciousness for who they are. Comparisons, which are common in families, schools, and even churches, should stop. Instead, celebrate them for their uniqueness.

Second, I encourage kids to focus on their strengths, not just weaknesses. Many emphasize improving weaknesses, but over time, this can limit growth in strengths. The Lord wires each of us uniquely. Yes, we must manage our weaknesses, but focusing on strengths helps us excel.

I often tell parents: “Catch them doing right, not just wrong.” Celebrate their successes loudly, and approach their mistakes with calmness and understanding.

Lastly, I encourage genuine connections. In today’s social media-driven world, kids are often lonely despite being surrounded by peers. Genuine friendships, where they can share openly, are essential. I suggest they pray together, support one another, and find purpose beyond the rat race.

These steps can help them grow confidently in their identity, gifts, and the unique path God has set for them.

Apostle Priji: I’d like to understand if as pastors or leaders, we have to intentionally disciple the next generation, also to replace us in a way, you know, and to do better than us, and to be better leaders. What are some things that we need to be intentional about right now? And look at them as leaders of tomorrow, you know, as the leaders of our churches tomorrow, leaders of families and business places. So what are some of those things that we can do or plan or prepare now so that when they take up certain responsibilities tomorrow, they will be successful at doing what they’re doing?

George Ebenezer: Like one of my mentors, you know, it’s a principle called the PDA principle. P is that I would spend time with the next generation that I want to take up. P is for personal revival, that I would focus quite a lot on helping them to continue to have personal revivals, personal encounters. You know, they should almost feel very abnormal if they have not had an encounter with the Lord in their personal place, right? They should have that personal revival, that personal encounters with the Lord.

That’s the first thing that I would mentor them in. The second thing is divine appointments. Divine appointments are looking for moments orchestrated by the Lord. The Lord never makes mistakes. There is a person coming into your life, or you’re placed in a certain school or workplace, and there’s always a divine appointment. Divine appointments can even include challenges. God can use struggles as divine appointments to teach and build us stronger. Some challenges don’t come to defeat us; they come to lift us up, which the next generation needs to understand.

Today, there’s a mindset that challenges should either not exist or that facing them means something is wrong with you. But no, the Lord often uses challenges to grow us. It’s personal revival, divine appointment, and the third is active obedience. You have to actively obey and teach the next generation to actively obey. What is the Lord telling you?

Kids often come to me for counseling and say, “Sir, what should I do? Uncle, what should I do?” I always respond, “I can give you a principle, but you need to decide. I can’t decide for you.” For example, young people come to me asking if they should marry a particular person. I tell them, “You need to meet with the Lord and see what He is asking you to do.” It’s essential for our children to spend time with the Lord and listen to His voice. “My sheep will hear my voice.”

Those are the three key areas I would focus on for the next generation: personal revival, divine appointment, and active obedience. If they walk in those areas, everything else—competency, courage, compassion—will follow. You’re raising a generation that embodies Christlikeness and desires to be like Christ. When they walk in these areas, the Lord will do mighty things through them.

Apostle Priji: Thank you so much. I’m inspired by this conversation. I’d love to ask one last question, if you don’t mind.

I’d love to know, with your vision to train young people, children, and teenagers, I’m sure you’ve had your share of discouragements and disappointments. Even though this is your passion, there are challenges—financial, physical, people-related, or team-related.

As leaders, what sets us apart is how we handle challenges more than how we perform on stage or in front of others. How do you personally face discouragement? How do you encourage and push yourself up despite the challenges?

George Ebenezer: One thing I’ve learned over the years is that leadership can be a lonely journey. It’s critical to be diligent in how you face discouragement because that’s a weapon the enemy often uses. He might not derail or disturb you, but he can discourage you, sometimes from unexpected places, times, or people.

I’ve had my share of discouragements. For example, I’m walking a miracle with 45 lesions in my brain. Doctors gave me two years to live, and now I’ve crossed over four years without a relapse. The doctors are now researching my case. This was discouraging for someone like me who loved traveling and doing things. But I decided I can’t stop; I need to keep pursuing my passion.

I’ve learned a few principles over 30 years of ministry:

1. Keep Moving: During the valleys of life, don’t make big decisions. Keep anchoring yourself in the Lord and moving forward. In those darkest times, God does His deepest work.
2. Gratitude: During difficult times, I focus on thankfulness. I keep a gratitude journal and encourage my children to do the same. Revisiting the blessings and works of the Lord helps pull me out of discouragement.
3. Listen and Learn: Spend time with mentors and people you trust, not to complain but to listen and gain wisdom. Even as we grow older, we must remain learners.

For me, worship is a great source of strength. Whether I play the guitar or simply kneel and listen to worship music, it helps me draw closer to God.

Apostle Priji: Thank you so much for giving us your time. If people want to connect with you, what are some of the best ways?

George Ebenezer: They can email me at [email protected] or visit beyondbarriers.co.in. I’m also on YouTube and other platforms.