What Has God Ever Done For Me?

Chapter 1 Michael Nineteen-year-old Michael stood a short distance away from a street outreach team that was performing Christian songs and ministering to whoever cared to respond. People walked past him, and he ignored them all. Looking intensely at the ground with anger on his face and tears in his eyes that were fogging up his broken glasses, Michael blurted out to the team, “What’s God ever done for me?” His outbursts quickly turned into loud sobs, “I gave my life to Jesus, I believed in Him and look at me now, and I am homeless...” He could not continue as anger and painful memories were building up inside him and spilling out in frustration, disappointment and, to a certain degree, hate. Time passed, and then, taking a step closer, he cried out, “You Christians you…” It seemed as if the memory was too painful to recall and his words faded. Just then, I approached and began offering comfort. Michael rejected my offer. I backed off a little but persisted and asked if he knew Jesus. Michael replied, “Yeah, I know him, but what has He ever done for me?” Michael stared into space, his mind filled with the hard knocks he had taken, shook his head and slumped to the ground. I sat down on the ground beside him and waited. I noticed the injury to his wrists. “What is that?” I asked, “The police arrested me and I resisted, so they cuffed me.” I asked, “Oh, have you been in trouble with the police?” Michael answered, “I can’t remember what happened, but I was in a rage, I was angry over something, and they were called in to stop me. I suppose you are a Christian, too?” I replied, “Yes, I am.” Michael went on to say, “And now you are going to tell me that God loves me, well just don’t, because I have heard it all before, it is a joke!” I asked him what his name was, and he answered readily enough. Then I asked, “Where do you live, Michael?” He replied, “I used to live with a friend in a small flat, but he threw me out. Now I sleep here and there.” We sat together on the ground, just listening to the team singing, and finally, I asked, “Can I pray for you?” Michael replied, “Whatever!” So I prayed for him, gave him my phone number (which I never do) and said goodbye. Sometime later, Michael contacted me and we chatted; gradually, Michael softened. With every meeting, I prayed for him, washed his clothes, there was food to eat, and a shower to freshen up. I lost touch with Michael, but the question—“What has Jesus ever done for me?” troubled me. I knew that the magnitude of what Jesus accomplished at the cross was foolishness to the natural mind, but Michael was born again, so how could he not understand what God had done for him? Unfortunately, I soon discovered that well-meaning religious people distorted the truth of the Gospel message and, in some cases, made it so difficult to understand that it is out of the reach of the average person. Only the really super holy people get to have the experience. This was Michael’s dilemma; he did not allow himself to feel the wonderful life-changing experience of an encounter with God because he thought he could never be good enough to deserve it. Michael thought that God was so mighty and exalted in power and majesty that God would not be friends with him. The truth is God’s burning desire was for Michael to hear His voice and relate to him personally. The truth is that Jesus was friends with people who were just like Michael—Jesus loved them and loved to be around them. He healed them, and they followed him. The truth is that Michael did not know how much he was loved, accepted, forgiven, qualified and equal to the holiest person, alive or dead. Michael did not know that it was not because of anything he did but because of what Jesus did over 2000 years ago. When we do not know what God has done for us, we rely on our own resources and ask God to bless it, and we end up praying for things we already have, or we attempt to achieve our salvation by doing good works, and then the slippery slope begins. The truth is that God’s love through what Jesus has done demonstrates how valuable we are, not our works. There is nothing left for us to do except believe! Therefore, to answer the question of what God has ever done for me means nothing if you do not have a clue or do not care to understand what it all means. Ignorance can also be an excuse to live in denial of Christianity. We live in denial because we are afraid to face our vulnerability, our lack, and our built-in need to worship something bigger. Michael was in denial because he could not face what he believed to be too painful and that God would not listen anyway. He could not face the fact that he was living with the consequences of his actions and that God had nothing to do with it. Yet, God is always there to lead us out, but He was not the One who gave Michael the pain and heartache. By the way, God will never force His help upon us. Michael’s problem lies in a wrong impression of what it means to be loved by God. So, in fact, he genuinely did not know what God had done for him, and sadly, no one took the time to lovingly disciple him in the ways of the Father’s love.