My Story
October 17, 1999
Dear Friends:
There are a few of you who already know my story. It is a story of God’s grace on a personal level. It is a story of dispelling false notions.
For those of you who don’t know my story, it probably bears repeating for the simple reason that it flies in the face of what the world will tell you. The world wants you to believe that to “eat, drink and be merry” will bring you happiness. I firmly believe a life in Christ is far superior.
From about the age of six, I was raised and taught in a Christadelphian Sunday School. My story would end there if I had only listened to what I was taught. However, my days were consumed with all of the cares of this life. A big part of that life was playing football.
My freshman year in college, I went on a full football scholarship to the University of Richmond. Everything, according to the world’s standards, was perfect. I was dating arguably the prettiest girl in the freshman class who was also a cheerleader with a red convertible Corvette. My room was one of the hubs for campus party life. I had my little orange sports car – also a convertible. Everything should have been just right.
The only problem with the whole scenario was that I was miserable. The problem was that I had placed myself in an impossible position. I knew too much about God and His Truth to enjoy my life in the world yet was not convicted enough to give up my life in the world. The result was discontent. The Bible tells us we cannot serve two masters and yet I had to be convinced.
In the misery of the summer after my freshman year, I decided to give up my football scholarship and move back home. Many people have misconstrued this decision. It was not so much a decision to quit football as much as it was a complete lifestyle change. Football was not the main issue, it was the way of life I was not strong enough to overcome of which football was a part.
Within two years of my life-changing decision, I was baptized and living a life in the truth. In addition to going to school full-time, I was also working full-time. My life consisted basically of going to school, going to work, studying and going to meeting and Bible class. To most people, it would look like I had made a foolish mistake. Yet the interesting thing is that each day, I grew happier and happier. It was not a life of big highs and big lows that it once was, but a consistent life of contentment in Christ.
The point of the story is this – life is better in Christ – from every perspective. The misconception is that I gave something up. The truth is that I gave up nothing and gained everything. End of story.
The trouble with a lot of people (especially young people) is that they can’t see the truth of this until they experience it for themselves. Madison Avenue has done such a sales job on them that they think I am trying to “put one over on them” when I tell this story. They think the world has so much to offer. They think that it can’t be that easy or that simple.
The truth is that it is that easy and that simple. Those who never have experienced the depravities of the world haven’t missed a thing. In fact, they are the truly smart ones and much better off for putting the cares of this world behind them from an early age. I wish I had been one of them from the start and not had to figure it out the hard way.
…whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own…but that which is through faith in Christ… (Phil. 3:7-9 – NIV)
Have a great week!
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