First United Methodist Church’s In Real Life – Friday, 3 January
2014 “His Word Has Power” by Richard Annett
When I was 18, a good friend of mine died while serving on his
first tour as a United States Marine in Iraq. He was one of my surfing buddies
and someone whose friendship meant a lot to me. I was going through a lot of
health issues earlier that year, and by the time of his death, I had already
had a heart procedure, two knee surgeries, and a spinal tap. Life was difficult
and seemed to be getting worse.
A year before the loss of my friend, I gave my life over to
Christ. I was in the hospital with a heart problem and another friend’s dad
came in one night to see me. During our visit, he told me about a guy he knew
named Jesus. That dad was someone I looked up to, someone I considered to be
“cool”. After he left my hospital room, I realized that I could love Jesus and
not be weird.
That very night I let Christ have my life. After eight days of
being in the Intensive Care Unit, my heart went back to normal, and I was
finally able to return home. I immediately began reading my Bible and learning
more and more about how totally awesome Jesus was and is. The night I learned
that my friend died, I went straight to scripture for comfort. A verse
specifically stood out to me, Matthew 6:33, which states, “But seek first His
kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given unto you.”
This passage not only helped me through the death of my friend, but it has
stuck with me since.
I strive to embody the meaning daily. It taught me that I must
first seek Jesus’ kingdom and righteousness in all that I do, not just in times
of struggle. When life throws me a curve ball, I seek God, finding out where
His kingdom is. I know that just because I am a follower of Christ life isn’t
going to be magically better, but I know when I seek His kingdom and
righteousness He will give me the strength to get through anything because He
is my rock. It is truly amazing how scripture can have such a lasting impact on
our lives.
As Craig mentioned in a sermon a few weeks ago, our Confirmation
class is currently memorizing scripture. They focus specifically on key
passages that proclaim the truth about Christ and what it means to be
Christian. My prayer for our youth is that these passages will have a profound
influence on their own lives, just as scripture has shaped my life through
Matthew 6:33. So with this New Year upon us, what are some of the life verses
that have helped you in the past? Please feel free to tell me your stories; I
would be honored to hear how scripture has changed your life. You never know…
your story may be used to speak God’s truth into the lives of others,
especially our students.
Richard Annett, Director of Student Ministries at First United
Methodist Church in San Diego
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First United Methodist Church
2111 Camino del Rio South
San Diego, CA 92108
(619) 297-4366
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