How God Uses Disability: An Interview with Nick Vujicic

Everybody Greg Laurie here. You're listening to the Grigori podcast and my objective is to deliver hopefully compelling practical insights and faith culture and current events. From a biblical perspective to find out more about our ministry. Just go to our website harvest.org so thanks for joining me for this podcast. Can God work through weakness all yes check this out on disability can turn into a special ability will I mean by that I mean if your life is been perfect. I don't know anyone was a perfect life but let's just say it's been reasonably pain-free. No crisis notes, yet just winked and you say will listen. You need to follow Jesus like I do in your life. You be good enough. It will get you everything's going well.

I mean, you know you don't know what it's like to go through hardship. What about if someone is gone through hardship.

What if someone is lost a loved one. What if someone has a disability even a severe disability and still they can say follow Jesus. That's a powerful testimony and in some ways it can be even more effective than a person who does not have the disability or the difficulty it's a way in which God be glorified. I want to introduce you now to a man who personifies that his name is McEvoy check which Nick was born in Australia to a wonderful Christian family.

His father is a pastor was going to church plant but Nick was born without his limb no arms and no legs. He was raising his loving Christian home and affirmed when it got to school, you know how kids can be.

They can be cool was hard for him. There were times Nick even wished he could just die one day he realized that God could use his hardship as a way to inspire others in a committed himself to do that, and since then he is traveled around the world and he speaks and shares a story in a moment were going to hear from Nick in person welcome. We had a great time getting going for the day and so wonderful to hear of all the God of your life making them.

Let's just go back for a moment to do your birth. I know you don't remember that but that your parents do course and they describe it for you to get back to that day when you were born and what happened while the doctors actually had no idea that others can be born without limbs and my mom was a nurse so she even made sure that we had the best doctors in town and Melvin Estrada and she was describing that moment with me just a couple years ago Justin in detail and she said when I was born. The moment I was born she saw that something was wrong for Dr. went pale and held me down low enough so she couldn't see what was going on in that she so my dad said of look across then he went pale and without a word he left and then she saw these nurses gathering and sign the crying. She's like why what's going on.

My parents were explained to me that it took actually four months before before they came to terms with it and the maid that went just Christians that were in our church planters in a good Christian skin on the question was what why would God let that happen. I mean after all their obedience right obedience brings blessing that God will protect you that God is Jehovah jar your provider but I mean it was just amazing when everyone had had that shock that grief morning as if someone had died, asking God why so. But the end time. Learn how to deal with it. I could lie look at some of the old photos from your childhood.

It looks like you know your love by your family, your brothers and sister and none of them were born with this disability correct and silver during a nurturing, nurturing, loving family are in the church, but then when you got in the school kids can be cruel and in there were some hard times. I went there, absolutely, absolutely. Before I went to school. I didn't think of myself as anything be able. I mean II knew that I had no arms or legs so I got woke up one morning and I will go to school and I'm like I don't have no limbs and I was little bit different, but I didn't think it was deal and going to the school grounds.

It was like Nick, you look weird in all the sorts of names and laughing and pointing the finger at me and I started to think well maybe I am different to a point where I'm not valuable. Maybe I don't have any worth maybe I don't have any purpose in that was the struggle I had because life without purpose is life without meaning. Life without meaning is life without hope and I came to a point in my life a couple times I just wanted to just ended. I can't change this right it's logical that if God loves me and I'm in pain while then he's going to change it because he wants me happy and I just didn't understand the plans that God has for us the meaning said in Jeremiah 29 verse 11 that God has a whole plan of the future by just sitting Jeremiah 2911. I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and I hope so. At some point, it dawned on you as a young boy facing this disability that God could be glorified through your life and good can come out of this and how did that come about by share with people that there are 220 points my life that happen. I mean semi people say will Nick you want to give up in life and you're not there a minute.call Nick. How did you get out and you know many people say please and how your mom and dad first. As you know, we admire what they've done. Yes, a lot of credit goes to my parents in instilling these values and attitudes and nursing and Jesus loves me this I know I for the Bible tells me so they done an amazing job concert looking better, though I have always when I was. I know that it's ultimately grow. Glory to God and in the wisdom that God gave my parents. My mom actually expose me to other people's pain and other people, circumstances. So first of all, I know that I'm not the only one, and knowing that it's okay not to understand what's going on tonight. God loves you and I started to be thankful. At age 13.

Instead of being angry at God. God, I have no arms or legs.

I have no limbs. Thank you God for my little footman I'm allergic drumstick and you I share with many people that just because you don't see the plans that God has for you. It doesn't mean that he doesn't have one.

Just because he doesn't mean there many people think of any got 1 foot why you haven't seen this one is right and you that you would raise it just because you can't see it doesn't mean it's not there. Does that make sense and so when we feel God or not.

We know what's going on.

We don't know what tomorrow holds what we know who holds tomorrow. That's right, you know, and I think that is you, Joe. People don't know what to do. Should I laughing right then I want to laugh and you use humor is a great way to defuse tension and I've noticed that from watching videos of you have a time with this thing out with you is that you joke about all kinds of you joke about your disability and and there's some funny stories of one of them was a looksee that a boy saw you and anyone to know what happened to you where I only without them there. I mean remote electric wheelchair going down to any public bases. Everybody looks at me and especially kids and I love freaking kids out. It's so much fun.

There was one little boy who saw me freaked out a and I went up family. Her cigarette and I think I sometimes I sometimes I clean my room. The parents love that one. A. You are in the car once a like this when you're in the car. The light or in the car in general. Some of these you they would necessarily know your disability, what up in their right side.

This woman comes up in her car next to us and obviously liked what you said they had no idea that I have no arms, no legs so look at her she looks at me and I'm like cool. Let's have some fun here. So I grab the seatbelt in my mouth and hallucinate like this and then in the car seat. I just did this and she must've thought that I did a brief with my head because her reaction was like I never seen anybody suggest for a green light in my life's faith has lights of a lot of the green light for you and your ministry and open doors of opportunity that are really fantastic. Got you been featured on 2020 and also you're going to be a guest on the Oprah Winfrey show coming up so that he'll be a powerful life and from around the world not know how many current been to 14 and all my fingers right and so how many people you figure you've spoken to this point face-to-face and you are telling me that in the here's the thing you need to know about Nick is he goes and shares a story, but each of the gospel.

How many people of respondent may profess the faith of those meetings for machinations under 40,000 hundred and 40,000 and you underwriting the new title of that is no limit, and that's also the name of this DVD and this is these are like scenes from your trip that you've taken with refined Asian tour on day. I mean it's just amazing to see how God can use a man without his legs to be his hands and feet in such a way that others have been used to able to go to Indonesia and and a lot of places that are close the gospel so that trips therein, and also testimony by its it's a wonderful evangelistic to find out there who want go to church. I hate check your DVD out about this Jesus Christ died not what you do is this, you say is a DVD about this guy without arms and legs from down on the old and I find out about Jesus Christ. Anyway, and we have had amazing testimonies of how many people been using his story to tell his story that says this is his love story for me this is it is to story his gloves, project you're working on a DVD that called for you when I favor value. How do you pronounce your King's English is not my problem. That sounds much better in that profile is not for you is you brought and 95 you I didn't know why we we came up with the name recently, a couple words that describe other words and I can describe about my life in the spirit of God in me France's passion and vigor and enthusiasm spirit, vitality, energy, power, driving style, and so forth. And this basically DVD is is about not just the testimony of Alice that's recent, including a clip from John Erickson, Tana Johnny and friends were very good friends. When fully yeah and and this really, really nice guy called Greg Lowery.

Hopefully and recording this right now, you might end up on their this actually will end up on that would really most of it, if not all of it and and where I wanted to partner up with you pasta Graham on your level of this is so wrong to be here, but one thing one thing more than one say that that you DVD is that you get free shipping. If your order for presell and the most exciting part for me.

I think is going to be the Colombian summary and also a mini documentary about a little man with no arms and her legs that I meet and I met last year and how my life impacted this for the glory of God and is just incredible. We filmed 10 hours yesterday and while the story September of last year speaking at a church about how God can use your circumstances for the glory of his of his name and that is more interested in sharing and changing your heart in your circumstance and say here I am talking about. Well maybe one damn good to meet somebody in my circumstance.

Behold in the crowd. This is 19-month-old boy with no moms, no legs and the little chicken drumstick like mine and I know what difference that would've made for me if I was a kid to look at somebody old already living that experience and his parents got to meet my parents that week and I witnessed a marvelous miracle yesterday were more interviewing. His mother always brought to tears because when we were interviewing her. She shared something that I know she said Nick when I hugged you I felt like I was hugging my son 24 years later, and that may mean you can't give me anything in the world to replace that and and this is this is the thing.

My purpose in life no matter what happens I know is to bring glory to God to tell somebody else that Jesus Christ can set you free. But who the sun sets free is free indeed that the same fear and guilt agree to hold you back more than having no moms, no legs to graze disability of all in Jesus Christ. There can come is that you free and bring you life and renew your mind and live a life purpose the greater purpose reached for his name and I just wanted challenge everybody out there that just because you don't think you have something or you wish you had something different in your life.

What if the Lord let you go to a circumstance just so that one of the soul would come to know about Jesus Christ through you. They can look at you and say what you like the same thing as me but why do you smile 70 people, sending how come you small whites because the joy of the Lord is my strength today that no matter what comes against me if God is with me. Hey, he can do all things. So there's always somebody look right now that that he and I'm hurting. I'm going through hardship and and maybe not the hardship you've gone through but you were talking earlier I was really great about how we are different kinds of pain in their thoughts.

All pain is pain. You know, and we, all of our struggles.

What would you say to someone that maybe, like you, what will point your life feels like they can go on another day, or someone that doesn't have this hope of this joy that radiates from your life. Neck absolutely.

I know that that many people subconsciously so many people today, even in my life I'm like tomorrow is Monday morning.

I many people subconsciously actually compare their suffering to my suffering and said Nick I could never imagine to be in your shoes, metaphorically speaking, but the thing is this, I just got that I that thing is is on a serious note, don't you dare think that I'm suffering will because I could find your 16-year-old girl who would give up their arms and legs if something else for change in her life if she had a father.

If you had a home if something else didn't happen in their life, and I could very well look at that going to sell my goodness I could never imagine that pain. There is no hope in comparing each of the sufferings, but there is hope in the name of the Lord because only he has set us free from sin only.

He gives us his Spirit inside of us to be the strength to become more than conquerors through him that my circumstance doesn't need to change for me to be happy. You can't argue with a smile. This joy in my eyes it's real. You see my real pain and use you my real strength that versus you said when I'm weak, then I am strong, or that is the strength of God and my greatest desire in your greatest desire.

If you know who God is to display his strength. Thank God that first of all, he is never forgotten is never forgotten.

He will never leave your office achy even though I know how that feels when you feel like you so far away his right hand and he loves it. He made sure that you're looking right into my eyes and hearing what's coming out my mouth because this is the Holy Spirit telling you that he loves you. He has a plan for never give up on God because God will never give up on you. Pray for a miracle or circumstance to change our sometimes I still pray for arms and legs but you know it's wholesome fun and get the miracle. I know that I am already a miracle for somebody else you can. Everybody great glory here. Things were listening to our podcast in the learn more about harvest ministries. Please subscribe and consider supporting this show. Just go to harvest.org. By the way, if you want to find out how to come into a personal relationship with God.

Go to know God.org that's key NOW GLD.org