BY REV. BOB GILBERG
Olive Branch Community Church of Firebaugh
Some days in this life are more challenging than others. Whatever the stage of life we are in, there are always obstacles that must be overcome. There are opportunities waiting to be seized.
But to seize an opportunity, you must first overcome it. To be victorious, you must prevail over the hurdles that stand between you and that which you desire.
When we learn to overcome the smaller hurdles in our lives, we will then build the confidence we need to overcome the larger ones, the ones that tend to stifle us, the ones that limit and discourage us.
One person who has proven to be inspirational in my life is Nick Vujicic. Vujicic was born without arms and legs. When he was born, his mother refused to hold him or see him. Instead, she and her husband left the hospital.
While Vujicic’s parents initially struggled with grief and confusion over his condition, they ultimately chose to raise him to trust in God and to look at the brighter side of life.
Vujicic writes, “Often people ask how I manage to be happy despite having no arms and no legs. The quick answer is that I have a choice. I can be angry about not having limbs, or I can be thankful that I have a purpose. I chose gratitude.”
Today, Vujicic travels around the world sharing his testimony and speaking about his faith in Jesus Christ. His ministry is known as Life Without Limbs.
He says, “I just hope people see that if God can do something beautiful with my broken pieces, then God truly has a plan for each and every one of us.”
The Apostle Paul writes, “We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”
Vujicic most certainly embodies the fullness of this verse (pun intended). If you haven’t heard him speak, I encourage you to look him up on YouTube and hear his testimony. It is truly inspirational.
The Greek word translated as “called” is better translated as “invited.” It is God who invites us into his story. His calling, his invitation, is for all people.
God has called you. He has invited you to be a part of his story. He has invited you to sit at his table. Jesus tells us, “My sheep hear my voice; I call them by name.”
To be called by our name is to be acknowledged, and to be called by Christ defines who we are. It defines our very identity, our future and our eternity.
Vujicic writes, “In life, if you don’t know the truth, then you can’t be free, because then you’ll believe that the lies are the truth.
“But once we realize that when we read the Word of God, and you know the truth of who you are, then I’m not a man without arms and legs. I am a child of God.”
Romans 8:31 says, “What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” Trouble? Will trouble be the end of us? No.
What does Jesus say? He tells us, “In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
What about hardship? Will hardship bring us to ruin? No. Paul writes, “For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.”
What about persecution, famine or danger? Will these be our end? No. For “in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” Nothing in this life “will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in us, in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
What does it mean to be more than a conqueror? It means to conquer overwhelmingly, to prevail completely, to gain a decisive victory.
The result is an image of victory so complete that the enemy is not merely subdued but rendered powerless to threaten the believers who stand in Christ. This is not our victory—this is God’s victory in us.
Vujicic writes, “I found the purpose of my existence, and also the purpose of my circumstance. There’s a purpose for why you’re in the fire. If God can use a man without arms and legs to be His hands and feet, then He will certainly use any willing heart!”
For we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love him, for those who have been called according to his purpose. This is the Good News of Jesus Christ. Praise be to God!
