A male believer surnamed Zhou became an orphan as both his parents died when he was very young. When he later testified to others, he often said that he had no family. He lived in the village and grew up stealing or robbing and getting food from random strangers.
Zhou came from a poor area in Shaanxi province. He was a naughty boy with only a primary school education, which was a common situation in the local area. He would even be better than some peers who had studied for only a year or two.
Due to the lack of the parents' discipline and care, Zhou went out into society very early. Due to the bad local rural social atmosphere, he contracted a variety of bad habits. First, he learned to steal, lie, fight, and gamble. No one wanted to talk to him for fear of getting in trouble.
As he could not stay in his hometown, he went out for a living. With the migrant working tide, he went to a southern city, but for a different purpose than work. He was to rob, steal, or do something even worse among the workers, in order to make ends meet.
When Zhou arrived in the southern city, the first factory owner he met was a Christian. Not long after, the boss invited them to hear the Gospel in church. Zhou was difficult to refuse, so he went there. The miracle happened at the time when the pastor was telling the story of Zacchaeus' repentance and the crimes such as theft. He listened to it, thinking that it was talking about him. He thought God was so wonderful.
In this way, the Holy Spirit seized Zhou who became a believer later on. He was determined to truly believe in God and do what the Lord Jesus taught him. Theft, alcohol, and other practices contrary to the teachings of the Bible are no longer a part of his life.
Alcohol and gambling may be difficult to give up for common people. However, Zhou completely broke away from these bad habits. His determination might have something to do with his character. Once he made a decision, he would do it firmly. By the grace of God, he felt disgusted with his former wrongdoings, which strengthened him against his sinful desires.
Not only that, but Zhou was also enthusiastic in the pursuit of the truth. After believing in the Lord, he devoted almost all his time except office hours to spiritual life, truth, and knowledge, which made him rapidly grow. Several years later, he was selected by a local church to attend a special training course for missionaries, becoming a pastor.
Within a few years, he married a female church member who loves the Lord and gave birth to a son and a daughter. "Thank God very much," he said. "From a homeless child, a social outcast, an orphan, I now became a man of God who has married and settled down."
No matter how bad a person has been, they can be changed by God. Anyone in the eyes of God is a baby, even if he or she has encountered numerous difficulties. As long as they rely on God, God can comfort them by supplying what they need.
- Translated by Oliver Zuo
