Inside Story: Nothing to Lose
What’s happened to me?
Image © Krieg Barrie from GoodSalt.com
Solomoni [sohl-oh-MOH-nee] asked himself. He was still a teenager, but he knew that he had messed up his life. He had disobeyed his parents and joined a gang of teenagers who stole and used drugs. God has condemned me for what I’ve done, he thought. I’m lost. There’s no hope for me; I have nothing to lose. With this attitude, he continued living a life of crime. In time he was arrested for and sent to prison. But prison didn’t change him.
Solomoni had several dreams that haunted him. He recognized a woman in his dreams as a Seventh-day Adventist. He decided to visit the Adventist church to learn why God had sent the dreams. The members welcomed him warmly, unmindful of his torn shirt and dirty jeans. He sat down and focused on the sermon. He was sobered by the pastor’s words and determined to leave his former life behind.
Some of Solomoni’s old friends warned him about what would happen if he left his former life. “Do whatever you want to me,” he told them. “I’ve found a better life in God.” Solomoni realized that he had been given a second chance in life. God had never let him go, and he had nothing to lose by taking hold of God.
Solomoni’s family and friends saw the changes in his life. Some wanted to know what had happened. Solomoni answered by inviting them to church, and several went. They knew that it would take a powerful God to change Solomoni, and they wanted to know God too. Three of Solomoni’s former gang member friends were baptized with him.
The pastor saw potential in Solomoni and urged him to consider preparing for the ministry. But Solomoni hesitated. “God has done so much for me, and I want to work for Him,” he said. “But with my past, I’m not worthy to be a pastor.” He resisted as church members tried to encourage him to consider studying at Adventist-owned Fulton College. But eventually Solomoni recognized God’s leading and enrolled to study theology.
He had no financial support, but he trusted God to provide. “I now know that God is calling me to serve Him, and I won’t turn back,” he says.
Hundreds of students are making a difference in the South Pacific islands thanks to Fulton College in Fiji. Part of a recent Thirteenth Sabbath Offering is helping to establish a new campus for the college where many more students can prepare to serve their Master. Thank you for your part in making this happen.
Produced by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission.
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Allow me to share the power of God Word during my gradual struggle. Phil. 4:13 ; 2 Cor.5:17 ; 1 Cor.10:13 ; and Jer. 29:11. And the Serenity prayer. Happy Sabbath to everyone!
I want to thank the Lord God of our fathers and indeed the ruler of the entire unverse for his everlasting love that he has continued to show his children by preserving our lives even when we are not worth to live.
It is only His love that sustains us in every way and I want to state here that I have personaaly felt the hand of the Lord in my life. This brings me to the story of David in the Bible; I have learnt three things in this story. When David volunteered to fight Goliath King Soul surrendered his own protective clothes but the young man refused and stated that it was too heavy for him, the first lesson I learn from this case is that you can not fight any spritual battle using another man's weapon in this case faith. Again Firstly David had a big task to convese the king that he was able to fight Goliath by giving an account of God's special deliverance from the mouths of two animals.
The lesson I learn here is that you can not put your trust in the Lord Unless you have a living testimony to give about how the great God intervened into your situation. Last point when Goliath was coming with guns, spears, and shield, David come only in the name of the Lord: the lesson I have learnt here is that you can not win any battle by any name other than the name of Jesus Christ.