“Back in our old town,” Stan commented on morning, “I had two particular friends who were about as different as day and night.”
“In what way?” I asked.
“How they spent their youth,” Stan replied, “and what became of that.”
Continuing, he added, “One friend had spent his youth in a way that he liked to say allowed him to live off a well-spent youth.”
“Oh,” I responded, “like having made good decisions when he was younger that allowed him to live off of those good decisions as he aged. Is that it?”
“That’s it,” Stan said. “He had been quite successful in this world and was living off of that success as he got older.”
“What about your other friend?” I asked.
“He was a bit of a character,” Stan said with a smile. “He liked to talk about how he spent his youth writing his future testimony.”
“Writing his future testimony,” I repeated. “What’s that mean?”
“As he put it,” Stan said, “he spent his youth doing things that, without change, would have resulted in a life that wasn’t much more than a good bad example.”
“A youth not well-spent,” I commented. “I’ve seen a lot of them!”
“Me, too,” Stan said, “but with my friend, he came to faith, saw that God saved him, not only for eternity, but for this side of eternity, and, as well, gave him a testimony that impacted a lot of people over the years.”
“In what way?”
“His message,” Stan replied, “was that if God could change him, God can change anyone. And that while he was spending his youth pursuing what he wanted to pursue apart from God, God was leading him in writing a future testimony of how God can change a life.”
“So,” I said, “even though his life did not look to be well-spent at the time, it turned out that way. I guess we shouldn’t think that God is finished with a person until He is finished!”
“Good guess!” Stan replied with a smile. “We never know what testimony God is preparing for us to have for the benefit of others.”
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Bible verses to consider:
Jesus answered, and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3.
Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 2 Corinthians 5:17.
Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. Romans 6:4.
Prayer: Thank you, Father, for those you brought into my life to tell me the truth of your free and gracious provision of life eternally with you when my time here is completed. Without knowing that truth and being able to accept it, I would have spent the rest of my time here just as it began, separated from you. Thank you for changing that, and for giving me a testimony of your love, grace, and mercy that I can share with others so that they, too, may have their lives and eternal destinations changed. I confess that too often I am reluctant to tell others what you have done for me and can do for them. Please help me in following every step of your lead in telling others what you have for me to speak and to demonstrate. Thank you I can and do bring these prayers before you in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Think on this: What does a “well-spent youth” look like to you? Every Christian should have a personal testimony of how God changed a life. Do you agree with that? Why or why not? Do you have a personal testimony that you readily share with others so that their lives and eternal destinations might be changed? If no, why? If you sense changes may be needed in how you view the need for having and expressing a personal testimony, how are those changes going to happen? Is that what you want? Why or why not?
Waiting for the Train 