Nollywood actor-turned-pastor Jimmy Odukoya has opened up about his emotional struggle with faith and personal grief following the sudden death of his mother, Pastor Bimbo Odukoya, in 2005.
In an episode of the “Truth Table” podcast, hosted by his sister, Pastor Tolu Odukoya, Jimmy shared how his mother’s unexpected passing deeply impacted his faith in God.
He explained, “The difference between when mum died and when dad died was that with mum it was very sudden and no one saw it coming. I think that my biggest fear in life at the time was losing a member of my family and mum was the most important woman in my life.”
Jimmy highlighted that his grief journey brought him to a crossroads where he would either face his pain head-on or abandon his faith.
Ultimately, he decided to confront his pain rather than walk away from his faith.
ALSO READ: Peter Okoye of P-Square addresses group’s breakup, feud with twin brother
He said, “When it happened, I felt like I was at a crossroads with God and I had two choices. It was either the middle finger to God and saying, ‘You know what? I’m done. This is not what you promised, this isn’t what you said. I’m leaving, I’m not doing this anymore. Where has this gotten us? And the other option was to stay there and just cry.
I thought to myself that if I take the other option where I walk away, I’m still going to come back eventually so why waste my time walking away? Let me just stay here and cry,” he added.
Jimmy compared his emotional state to a wounded soldier in battle but found comfort in a message from God.
“I felt like a soldier in war—battered, broken, lifeless. But I remember God saying, ‘Get up, soldier. Don’t you realize you’re fearless now? The worst has happened, so what can the devil use to threaten or scare you anymore?’”
Jimmy’s story is one of resilience and faith in the face of profound loss, showing how he found strength and courage even in his darkest moments.
NIGERIAN TRIBUNE