Young people are often far from peaceful; there are often pressures and tension that can drag a person down and draw them away from Christ. Young people are lowering their moral standards, fighting with their parents, and drowning in their worries. However, Christ offers a different life...
“What Has He Not Changed?”
Based on an interview with Micaiah Glover,
as told to Victoria Crow
A dramatic testimony can make an impact. People read of God’s radically transforming a person’s life from deep sin, and they are left speechless. Stories such as those can be inspiring. However, there is another sort of testimony that is equally powerful. Perhaps even more relevant to the Christian young people of today is the testimony of someone who has received Christ into their life at an early age and has grown up knowing and loving Him.
I would say that Micaiah Glover’s testimony fits that description very well. The son of a pastor, Micaiah was saved at the age of six during a family vacation. Looking back, Micaiah says that his family and friends, especially his parents, were extremely influential in his becoming a Christian. He had been surrounded with the teachings of the Bible; from the beginning he had a solid Christian background.
It was actually his dad that led him to the Lord. Micaiah said that when his dad asked him if he wanted to be saved, his response was instant. Of course he wanted to be saved; why in the world would he not want to become a Christian? He had grown up in a Christian home and knew a lot about the Christian faith already. He had believed mentally in Jesus at an early age. However, it was only when he was six years old that he actually professed his faith in the Lord.
Even though there might not have been a dramatic change in his life at the moment, his faith eventually affected everything in his life. Decisions, choices, standards, morals—Micaiah grew up living a different life than he would have had Christ not been his Lord. As a young person, and especially as an eighteen-year-old, there are many other lifestyles he could choose. However, he has chosen to live for Christ. Instead of arguing with his parents and rebelling against them, Micaiah chooses to honor them and work with them. Instead of doing his own thing and lowering his standards, he has chosen to live a life that is governed by higher moral standards than that of the world.
As a result, people have noticed. “Because I choose to be a Christian and choose to live for God, people trust and respect me,” he said. People often look up to him and expect more from him than they normally would from a guy his age. They see that he is different, and they trust him. That is a direct result of what Christ has done in his life. While he was still speaking, Micaiah was quick to add that the favor he has been given by God is not simply the result of his own goodness or achievement. “I am nothing,” Micaiah stressed. “I just try to follow God and do what He’s called me to do.” If it were up to him, he said, there would be no way he could have the kind of life that he has been given by God.
I asked Micaiah if there were any particular areas in his life that he had seen God change over the years, and he responded, “What has he not changed?” There was nothing in his life that he could think of that had not been affected by his faith.
In particular, Micaiah spoke about the peace that God has brought to his life. With God in his life, life is more fulfilling and more relaxed. There are problems, of course, but he does not have to handle them alone. God is his reliance. Even at college, Micaiah said that he sees people walking by, and he can tell that they are burdened down with problems and worries, but Micaiah has peace. He does not have to face things alone—the weight of his world is not solely on his shoulders.
Christ makes all the difference. If Micaiah had to face the pressures, worries, and temptations of life alone, he could not. It is easier to bear the load of life, he said, when everything does not fully depend on him. Yes, things happen and problems arise, but God is there to help him.
For the average teenager, the life that Micaiah described is a far cry from the norm. Young people are often far from peaceful; there are often pressures and tension that can drag a person down and draw them away from Christ. Young people are lowering their moral standards, fighting with their parents, and drowning in their worries. However, Christ offers a different life: one that can be hard at times, yes, but one that is also easier, in some ways, and more fulfilling. Even as an eighteen-year-old, this life offers more than a person can dream.
Someone who has lived the majority of his life for the Lord offers an example of purity that some people can only wish they had. When others fall into sin, the person who is grounded in the Christian faith can stand solidly against the temptations of the world. For a young person, this is quite a testimony, and it is one that is powerful in its simplicity.
Experiencing Christ’s mercy and grace after making huge mistakes is incredible; however, depending on his protection, initially, from those mistakes is invaluable. As Micaiah spoke, I noticed a firm dedication to Christ, something indicating that he would never seriously consider centering his life solely on anything but Christ. This conviction and dedication to the Lord plays a huge role in a young person’s living a pure life, and that sort of dedication to God can be rare among today’s young people. However, the young person who chooses to live for Christ is not making an unwise decision. For a person who is surrendered completely to Christ, there is no part of life that God cannot change, no area that He cannot touch with His grace. For those who really want to be pure for the Lord, those are encouraging words.
Micaiah Glover, 18, lives with his family in DeFuniak Springs, FL, and attends Okaloosa-Walton College in Niceville, FL, as a home schooled/dual-enrolled high school student. He also attends Cornerstone Church in DeFuniak Springs, FL.