Real Hope: Back to Basics - JesusSample

He Changes Everything

Jesus, the son of God and also very human, had that powerful attraction to draw people. Being a carpenter, He could fell His own trees and cut them into planks, so when the moneychangers in the Temple saw Him wield a whip, they must have been terrified.

At 17, living in South Africa, I did swimming training with a young man named Trevor. He was in Durban, alone, studying and being treated for bilharzia, a parasitic infection targeting the bladder and intestines, causing pain and bleeding. The treatment was horrendous, but I noticed he never complained, but rather went out of his way to help others.

During one of our training sessions, I asked, ‘What keeps you glued together with all you’re facing?’ His reply shocked me: ‘I have a relationship with Jesus, don’t you?’ I didn’t understand but those words lingered. When I met his father, the first thing that he said to me was, ‘David, do you have a relationship with Jesus?’ I answered, ‘Sir, is this what Trevor’s got?’ He said, ‘Yes, it is.’ Without argument, I replied, ‘I want that.’

A month later, I invited Jesus into my life and began following Him. That has changed history. In any friendship, you have to spend time with the other person. My relationship with Jesus grew by spending time with Him in prayer, with other believers, and in reading God’s Word. And people with whom I worked and studied, or played sport, saw the changes. I had opportunities of leading many into a relationship with Jesus as a result. A relationship with Jesus changes everything.

Written by DAVID SMETHURST