Years ago I attended a church’s wild game feast. The food was great but I was there for the speaker…a rich and famous guy. But a Christian, too? I was curious. Hundreds gathered at a nearby stadium. And on cue, he literally walked out of the darkness and into the light.

Known for being funny, he did not disappoint. We laughed at every joke, even the old ones because his stories touched on experiences we all shared. The same was true when he spoke of his walk with God. We connected with him. We were all family that night.

Recently I heard him again. Not at a performance or speaking engagement, but in a simple interview in which he explained a deep transformation in his life. Not that he wasn’t a good, decent man before, but his words left no doubt. He was noticeably different.

Incredibly rich…Incredibly famous…Incredibly miserable.

The world will tell you, “Hey, if you’re rich or if you’re famous, that’s the top of the mountain. That’s as high as it gets”…You talk about hopeless? If your goal is to be rich and famous, and you finally get there and it doesn’t fill that void, where the heck do you go then?

…I look back on that and kinda thank God for showing me, “Hey, this is what the world’s going to tell you, but this isn’t it!”…It’s not even like I think because all of this good stuff happened to me, I owe it to God to go do something. That’s not the way I think.

I know what it feels like just to be loved for who you are. It’s not really a conscious thing going “I’m going to pay this back.” It’s like, “Crap, I know what it feels to be loved, so I’m going to love on you. I know what it feels like to be encouraged. I’m going to encourage you.”

To have a full life you must live it, not just read about it.

So, what changed him? One day he heard about Atlanta Union Mission, a ministry that seeks to end homelessness, “one friend at a time”. He wanted to help, but was stunned by what God had in mind. Yet he trusted Him, and began a journey he could never have imagined.

It has now been many years. During that time, almost every Tuesday at 6:30 a.m., you would find him at the Mission. And that’s where he continues to lead a Bible Study for homeless men. And life since? “I did nothing to deserve such a full and cool life.”

Jesus came so we could have life to the fullest,1 but we do not find such a life by simply turning the pages of a book. We must do something to experience the full life that Jesus offers. We must follow Him, love others, and encourage them…just as Jeff Foxworthy has.

Take care & be God’s,

Chuck

Chuck Graham is Founder and Executive Director of Ciloa , an international ministry devoted to sharing God’s encouragement and teaching others how to “encourage one another as long as it is called Today!” He is also an author, speaker, teacher, and encourager. Chuck and his wife, Beverly, live in Lawrenceville, Georgia, USA. You can learn more about Chuck and Ciloa at www.Ciloa.org .

1. See John 10:10.

Statements by Jeff Foxworthy were made during an interview with Kevin Myers, Senior Pastor of 12Stone Church, Lawrenceville, Georgia, USA. See the complete interview in the Do Something series, Week 1: Jeff Foxworthy at https://12stone.com/watch/do-something/week-1-jeff-foxworthy .

Learn more about the Atlanta Union Mission and how they are bringing hope to hopeless men and women at https://atlantamission.org.