Does Jesus Really Make a Difference?

Like all Navigators, one of the things I like to do regularly is share the Gospel. But does Jesus really make a difference in someone’s life? Does sharing the Gospel result in transformation? When my wife, Wendy, and I worked with The Navigators in Argentina, we started a home Bible study that included a 20-year-old named Adolfo. Here’s his story, in his own words, about the difference Jesus made in his life.

When I was seven years old my family lost everything in a terrible earthquake. For a while, our family of seven lived in a tool shed with a dirt floor. My mother was so traumatized and heavily medicated that she would do nothing but sit in a chair and rock all day. My parents argued a lot and my father began to drink.

Then my mother came to Christ and was completely healed. Nobody else in the family believed and we all thought she was crazy. She attended church and wanted us to go as well, but I was very skeptical, despite the changes I’d seen in her.

I had a huge sadness in my heart because of our desperate circumstances and poverty. The devil would whisper in my ear, “You’re going to end up a beggar on the street! You’ll die without ever having children!” I was constantly depressed. Many nights, I would only sleep two or three hours.

A year later, my sister began working for an American couple named Henry and Wendy. I didn’t really like Americans at all, but my mother invited me to meet Henry and some others for tea. When I arrived, I realized they were having a Bible study, so I simply got up and left, thinking, “This is a stupid waste of time!”

Eventually, I stuck around the study just to play devil’s advocate and during that time God began to change my heart. This was hard for me to accept, but after a while I became more and more open. Henry shared with me about giving my life to Christ, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to. Then both of my sisters and my father came to Christ.

I came to a point where I couldn’t eat or sleep. I felt like someone was watching me. And it was terrifying. Finally, I went to Henry’s house and shared with him what was happening. We talked for a while and then he lead me in a prayer to surrender my life to Christ.

My whole life began to transform. Today I am happily married with nine children (so much for never having children!). Four of them are serving the Lord. We are active in our church, and we counsel and disciple other couples. We’ve seen God use us in the lives of others.

Does Jesus really make a difference? Adolfo would answer with a resounding, “Yes!”

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes (Romans 1:16).