“You are a hopeless case.”
“You will never change.”
“You will be as drug addict until the day you die.”
These were the messages spoken over my life again and again. In the natural, these dire predictions concerning my life and prospects for the future had a ring of truth to them. However, the Lord was raising up His witnesses around me to bring a message of hope and deliverance.
After wasting all of my teenage years on drugs, alcohol and a party lifestyle, I found myself facing five years in the state penitentiary. Even worse than that, at 20 years of age, I had been shooting narcotics in my veins for 5 years and had absolutely no hope or vision for the future. I was surrounded by teachers, doctors, counselors, pastors and random people who were declaring death and defeat over my life.
Thankfully, the Lord spoke His Word over my life: “If any man be in Christ he is a new creation” (2 Cor. 5:17a). He used His people to do it. God displays His power and produces freedom in hopeless people through the boldness of godly witnesses. The most powerful tool you possess to promote change in the lives of others is your testimony. Specifically, your story of how Jesus Christ has brought victory and hope to your life.
Proverbs 18:1 puts it this way: “The power of life and death is in the tongue.” When I was a troubled, addicted and confused young man, I had people around me speaking two distinct messages. Some of those people were declaring death and destruction, while others proclaimed life and deliverance. The Lord used the message of hope to transform my life into a testimony for His glory and kingdom.
You can hear the rest of my story and discover how the Lord will use your story to encourage hope in people around you on this episode of Conquer Addiction on the Charisma Podcast Network. You can find more resources at omainc.org.{eoa}
