BEING USED?

Matthew 28:18-20, “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.”

Have you ever been used by God? Have you ever had the privilege of being part of God bringing someone to salvation? It is an awesome experience.

During this time of year I think of how I have been used by God and one young man always comes to mind. Richard was one of our 7 young men who lived with us while Erin and I were houseparents in Florida. He was sixteen years old, six feet tall, dark black hair and golden colored skin (he was Mexican). Within a few minutes of meeting this young man you could tell there was a lot of anger and resentment there. His eyes were cold and he showed little emotion except furry.

Within two weeks of being there Richard had swung at me, and hit me. He also was in a fight with another young man within the house and repeatedly walked out of the house, school and the cafeteria because he was angry. He was nearly unapproachable, especially when it came to discipline. He wanted nothing to do with it. He was a big kid, as he was six feet tall and weighed probably nearly 170lbs. It was no easy task to restrain him. Oh, and did I mention he was a gang member. I cannot remember which one, but I am almost certain it was an MS-13. A conscience is one thing I was almost certain he was lacking.

After several weeks of dealing with Richard on a constant basis, Erin and I were at our wits end and I was ready to have him released from our house. I was praying and so was a lot of the other staff, but there just seemed to be nochange nor any real desire to change on Richard’s behalf.

One day something happened, actually one night. We always had devotions each night and typically I would always end talking about the importance of accepting Christ. This night Richard was stirred by the Holy Spirit and accepted Christ. It was truly an amazing experience, because the change was immediate and dramatic in this case.

Almost over night Richard’s behavior completely changed. He became much happier, showed real emotions and worked hard to control his anger. Within a couple of months you would not recognize him from where he was. By the time we left the house Richard was the leader in the house and the most behaved student and an honor roll student. The following year he was the student of the year.

Better then all that, he started witnessing to gang members in prisons. He was living his faith and telling everyone he knew about his love for Jesus. He was truly a changed young man and God allowed me to be part of His transformation of Richard.

A great reminder of the resurrection and what was accomplished by Christ. Take time to thank God for all those whose lives have been changed by the power of the cross and resurrection.