Celebrating Life Change

Nothing compares to seeing lives transformed by the Gospel. As we spend time celebrating Jesus’ birth and the coming New Year, let’s reflect on a few moments from this past year when lives were changed as God worked through faithful Gideons and Auxiliary.

Jail Cells, Gorgeous Landscapes, and a Simple Dinner

A group of Gideons in Oregon participate in a Sunday service at their county jail, where the Gospel is shared regularly. Each attending inmate is given a Bible from The Gideons to keep and eventually take home with them. After one service, a 61-year-old inmate cried out in tears, “I thought that God hated me my whole life! I never knew that God loved me!” The inmate signed his name in the back of the Bible that night, indicating his decision to receive Christ as his Savior. Imagine living your whole life thinking that God hated you and learning now that Jesus loves you and gave His life for you.

“I thought that God hated me my whole life! I never knew that God loved me!”

We are also blessed to see lives changed in different cultures and contexts. A Gideon was recently in Guatemala admiring the gorgeous landscape and wondering how to get a picture in front of it. He saw a young man nearby and asked if he would take his picture. Afterward, the Gideon asked the young man, “Do you go to church anywhere?” He said he did not; only his wife goes. The Gideon offered the young man a Testament and asked, “Do you know what the most important message from the Bible is?” Their conversation continued as the Holy Spirit worked on his heart. We thank God the young man prayed for his sins to be forgiven and received the Lord Jesus Christ into his heart that day.

Then, there are the seemingly mundane moments that arise. Diana received an unexpected blessing as she served a Gideon his meal at dinner one night. The Gideon offered her a Testament and showed her some of the supplemental Helps inside the front pages. She was unsure about many things, and the Gideon felt led to explain God’s gift of forgiveness and how she could have a clean slate by receiving Jesus Christ. With a big smile, she told him she wanted to pray. Diana received Jesus into her heart that night.

A Great Work in the Next Generation

God is also doing a great work in the next generation. A son came out of his bedroom and told his Dad he wanted to be baptized. The Dad encouraged him that salvation is more than just being baptized. His son replied, “I know that, Dad. I’ve been reading this Testament from The Gideons I received at school and signed and dated the back page.” This signified God had moved in his life, and he received Jesus as his Lord and Savior.

In another case, a Gideon offered Leonardo a Testament on a college campus. They began to talk when Leonardo said, “I took one of these yesterday because it has been some time since I have been in a church, and I thought it might help me.” The Gideon then shared a few verses about Jesus and the rest of God’s plan of salvation. We praise God that Leonardo received forgiveness and surrendered his life to Christ. He became a new creation that very morning!

One Soul at a Time

Praise God for opportunities to see people receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior and then impact the lives of others. Mark was once a “self-centered, self-righteous drug addict enemy of God.” But God changed his life and now uses him to see life change as a Gideon. Mark says, “God is using the ministry of this Association to change people’s lives, one soul at a time. You played a role in what He has done, and continues to do, in my life.”

“God is using the ministry of this Association to change people’s lives, one soul at a time. You played a role in what He has done, and continues to do, in my life.”

A 61-year-old inmate. A young man in Guatemala. Diana. A son. Leonardo. Mark. All were stirred by the Word of God, leading them to surrender their life to Christ. We are blessed to be a part of it and can’t wait to see the opportunities God opens next.