Years ago, I attended a Franklin Graham event with the youth group I was leading. The event featured many of the top Christian bands and speakers. Nearly all of my students, however, left most impacted by the only two speakers I’d never heard of: Brian Welch and Lacey Strum. Both had been part of popular mainstream bands, in fact, the very sort of bands I hoped my students NEVER listened to! Yet, both of them experienced a rebirth because of the grace and mercy of God. In both cases, it had a price, costing them many of their secular fans. Yet, both spoke passionately about the power of God in their life and their desire to live a new life for Him. I was taken aback both by the powerful change in their lives and the transformative impact their testimonies had on my students. Both demonstrated that life ain’t over till its over.
Let me share another story. I once attended a ministry conference at a famous megachurch. There were eight speakers at the event, all pastors of megachurches and authors of books. Want to know something crazy? HALF of them ended up falling into major sin, costing themselves their ministries. In fact, three of their churches (each over 10,000 members at the time) would cease to exist within five years. These men had seemingly followed God, apparently achieving amazing things. Yet, something in their heart and soul was not right, and everything came crashing down.
I share these stories as an examples that life ain’t over till its over. If we’ve struggled to follow Christ, we have time to repent, change, and follow. If we are currently following Christ we will encounter plenty of temptations to stray from the path, harming ourselves and others along the way. As always, don’t take my word for it.
A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ And he answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind and went. And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward change your minds and believe him. Matthew 21:28-32
What a powerful Scripture! The most wretched can be transformed by God’s love and mercy, and the seemingly righteous among us can be felled by temptation. If your life has some nasty sin in it, take hope, because God stands ready to fully forgive and transform you, as he did Brian and Lacy. He even has a purpose for you bigger then you imagine. If you’re walking with God, this parable should remind you to keep your eyes on His path. Satan is always looking to lead us astray, to tarnish what God has made. Remember: life ain’t over till its over. Repent of your sins and keep following God’s path each and every day.
