I'm Not Nothing

I was looking back on my life and thought about a preacher who said that we are nothing.  I can see his point.  We truly are nothing without Christ.  Before I accepted Jesus as my savior I had no life goals.  I just lived from day to day trying to enjoy life.  To be honest, I was a failure.

My father left my mother and me.  He had cowared me with his many outbursts of anger.  When someone said or did something against me, I would not defend myself.  When I got to school, I never defended myself and became the target of bullying.   I thought of myself as of little value.  I received Cs and Ds in school because I thought I was stupid.  I was nothing in my own sight.

When I accepted Jesus, He began to work with me.  He built upon my life a person who I never thought I could be.  He had me in the Navy where I learned that I could be someone to be proud of.  I also began to grow in Christ because of the Christians I met while in the Navy.  I found that trusting God was the key to being bolder in my life.

God has given me a Christian Education.  I found out I was not stupid.  I even found that I barely missed being able to join Mensa.  God has given me wisdom for His word and I love to teach about the Bible.  Jesus and doing His will have become my life's goal.

God gave me a great wife, three wonderful daughters, grandchildren who I love and cherish.  I have a house to call home and I am debt free.   I have been so blessed and as I look back, I can see God's hand on it all.

Without Christ, my life would be so different and so sad.  I know I would have found pleasure while in the Navy from drinking, women, and drugs. Good chance I would have divorced whoever I had married.  I would have nothing to look forward to in life.  I would be worthless.  I am not overstating this.  I know what I was like before Christ and where my attitude and way of thinking would have led me.

Without Christ I am nothing, but I do have Christ.  He has transformed my life into something beautiful.  I am a man of faith who follows Jesus Christ because I love what He is doing with my life.  God has made me a unique and precious vessel that is holy and righteous.  A vessel for His honor and glory.  A vessel more valuable than all of the universe.

Those who do not know Christ as savior are nothing without Him because there is nothing they can do that is eternal and good.  Without Christ, there are only temporary achievements which give no lasting fulfillment.

I am not nothing and, if you know Christ as your savior, neither are you.  Our lives are eternal, our goals are eternal, and it all is because Jesus Christ made us the men and women we are today.

"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." 1 Peter 2:9