Today as I was reading the news I came across an article of a man who had been a top Nixon Watergate figure who had just died. His name was Charles Colson, and he was referred to at one time as "the evil genius of the Nixon administration". What caught my eye about this was the fact that Mr. Colson became an Evangelical Born Again Christian after his conviction. Many thought he did this to have his prison sentenced reduced, but Mr. Colson did not let naysayers stop him. He spent the next thirty-five years of his life winning inmates to Christ and setting up charities to help them and their families once they got out. He earned millions of dollars in the selling of books about his life, as well as movies that were made about him. He was awarded a million dollars for "the prestigious Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion." All of the proceeds from the earnings he gave to a ministry program set up to help inmates who have turned to Jesus Christ and need a fresh and successful start. He kept none of this money for himself. What caught my eye about Mr. Colson the most was this quote he gave, "I shudder to think of what I'd been if I had not gone to prison," Colson said in 1993. "Lying on the rotten floor of a cell, you know it's not prosperity or pleasure that's important, but the maturing of the soul." He also referred to his prison term as "a great blessing". The Boston Globe is even quoted from 1973 in this article as saying, "If Mr. Colson can repent of his sins, there just has to be hope for everyone." Mr. Colson could just as easily have been bitter, sold his autobiography for millions, and lived off the royalties for years to come. He could have focused on his intellect, never regretted a thing he did, and lived with some satisfaction that he had reached not only a place of power for a short time, but made history! Instead, he repented of the evil he had done (we know repent means to change our course) and learned what he calls the most valuable lesson there is to learn, "the maturing of the soul". I don't think I have EVER heard this said in all of my life! Many were skeptical of his "life change" but, Mr. Colson never stopped proclaiming Jesus Christ and he actually died in the midst of giving a talk on how important Jesus is for the permanent change of those who are considered permanently incorrigible. He died giving the good news of the Gospel thirty years later! By the way, his prison sentence was only seven months in the early 1970s. We have a choice. We all make mistakes. None of us are, or ever will be perfect. Just like the Apostle Paul, even though he had made mistakes in his life, he did not let the weights of his sins of the past keep him from preaching the good news. He did not allow that to become baggage that kept him from moving forward for God. We have the same choice. We can either let a mistake or mistakes be a stepping stone or a breaking point. The choice is most definitely there and ours to make. We can live "fragmented" lives or let Jesus take it and "let nothing be lost." Mr. Colson did the latter and look at the thousands and thousands of people that not only were saved, but brought others to Christ in their own lifetimes! He didn't hide from what he had done. He didn't run from it, either. Instead, he gleaned great lessons from those mistakes, forgot what didn't matter about the past (the words of his critics), looked to God, and God promoted him in the midst of all his trouble! God is no respecter of persons! God will do the same for us! Mr. Colson was not out to promote Mr. Colson. Ironically, I had never even heard of him until today. Mr. Colson was out to promote Jesus, and that is a work that will carry on forever! Not only will it carry on here, but even now Mr. Colson is in Heaven reaping a great reward for the things he did for God so selflessly!! It is never over, my friend. No matter what you may have done, you are of great use and value to God!! It isn't God's decision on whether you waste your life or use even the worst of mistakes for Him and His glory. It is up to you! Choose wisely as Mr. Colson did! Others need hope to go on. You have the power through Jesus Christ to give them that, if you let not the fragments of your life be wasted! Have a great day, all day, my friend!
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Let Your Mistakes "Make" You, Not Break You!
Today as I was reading the news I came across an article of a man who had been a top Nixon Watergate figure who had just died. His name was Charles Colson, and he was referred to at one time as "the evil genius of the Nixon administration". What caught my eye about this was the fact that Mr. Colson became an Evangelical Born Again Christian after his conviction. Many thought he did this to have his prison sentenced reduced, but Mr. Colson did not let naysayers stop him. He spent the next thirty-five years of his life winning inmates to Christ and setting up charities to help them and their families once they got out. He earned millions of dollars in the selling of books about his life, as well as movies that were made about him. He was awarded a million dollars for "the prestigious Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion." All of the proceeds from the earnings he gave to a ministry program set up to help inmates who have turned to Jesus Christ and need a fresh and successful start. He kept none of this money for himself. What caught my eye about Mr. Colson the most was this quote he gave, "I shudder to think of what I'd been if I had not gone to prison," Colson said in 1993. "Lying on the rotten floor of a cell, you know it's not prosperity or pleasure that's important, but the maturing of the soul." He also referred to his prison term as "a great blessing". The Boston Globe is even quoted from 1973 in this article as saying, "If Mr. Colson can repent of his sins, there just has to be hope for everyone." Mr. Colson could just as easily have been bitter, sold his autobiography for millions, and lived off the royalties for years to come. He could have focused on his intellect, never regretted a thing he did, and lived with some satisfaction that he had reached not only a place of power for a short time, but made history! Instead, he repented of the evil he had done (we know repent means to change our course) and learned what he calls the most valuable lesson there is to learn, "the maturing of the soul". I don't think I have EVER heard this said in all of my life! Many were skeptical of his "life change" but, Mr. Colson never stopped proclaiming Jesus Christ and he actually died in the midst of giving a talk on how important Jesus is for the permanent change of those who are considered permanently incorrigible. He died giving the good news of the Gospel thirty years later! By the way, his prison sentence was only seven months in the early 1970s. We have a choice. We all make mistakes. None of us are, or ever will be perfect. Just like the Apostle Paul, even though he had made mistakes in his life, he did not let the weights of his sins of the past keep him from preaching the good news. He did not allow that to become baggage that kept him from moving forward for God. We have the same choice. We can either let a mistake or mistakes be a stepping stone or a breaking point. The choice is most definitely there and ours to make. We can live "fragmented" lives or let Jesus take it and "let nothing be lost." Mr. Colson did the latter and look at the thousands and thousands of people that not only were saved, but brought others to Christ in their own lifetimes! He didn't hide from what he had done. He didn't run from it, either. Instead, he gleaned great lessons from those mistakes, forgot what didn't matter about the past (the words of his critics), looked to God, and God promoted him in the midst of all his trouble! God is no respecter of persons! God will do the same for us! Mr. Colson was not out to promote Mr. Colson. Ironically, I had never even heard of him until today. Mr. Colson was out to promote Jesus, and that is a work that will carry on forever! Not only will it carry on here, but even now Mr. Colson is in Heaven reaping a great reward for the things he did for God so selflessly!! It is never over, my friend. No matter what you may have done, you are of great use and value to God!! It isn't God's decision on whether you waste your life or use even the worst of mistakes for Him and His glory. It is up to you! Choose wisely as Mr. Colson did! Others need hope to go on. You have the power through Jesus Christ to give them that, if you let not the fragments of your life be wasted! Have a great day, all day, my friend!
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