IT’S 11:00 A.M. and I need to get up. I’ve had only three hours of sleep, and I am so hungover. Wait a minute. I’m not hungover. I’m still drunk. I can’t have that. I have back-flips to do on my wakeboard today. I better have a few shots of Jägermeister to avoid the hangover. Additionally, I’ll grab a forty-eight pack of “I am Canadian” for the boat, on the way out to the lake. Don’t forget the ice.

One night, years later, I will grab a forty pounder of whiskey, a rope, and a chair, and head down to the basement. The only decision left: climb up on the chair sober and then kick the chair out from under my feet—or drink the forty pounder of whiskey to go out in a blaze of cowardly glory—to be left hanging. Let’s call this my “last night.” Scars tell a story.

Anger was my best friend for thirty-four years. I sexually defiled my body on many occasions. There were times, when I would in-gest more than seventy drinks in a 24-hour-period. Some days I would wake up only a few hours later, and do it all over again. Years ago, I had an assignment on me from the Hells Angels, and I can’t even count the number of street/bar fights I’ve been involved in. Back then, I never had more than two-weeks wages in the bank at any given time. I went through numerous relationship break-ups, including divorce. I was charged with two DUI’s, and falsely convicted of one indictment charge. I lost my driver’s licence seven times, and have had a suspended licence for a period of over five years combined. I’ve been through four criminal court cases—all of them, different cases. The latest of them ending in 2012 in a Supreme Court trial. I was hospitalized more times than I can count for severe bodily injury—and three times for suicide. During this seventeen-year time frame, I was diagnosed several times with bipolar disorder, ADD and ADHD. The last diagnosis being multiple personality disorder. I endured countless broken relationships with women during this time period, but nothing compared to the seventeen years’ worth of relationship desolation that I had created with my parents, my sister and her family.

After all of this (which involves much more than mentioned), the Lord would still take the ashes of my broken life and completely turn me around as explained in Isaiah 61:3. I would be transformed out of my old life to walk as an entirely new creation. Today, I am completely free of all addictions and diagnoses without any medications whatsoever. How is this even possible? The answer? Powerful Love.

Not only did my Father save my life, but He also restored the years in which the locusts had eaten as He promises in His Word. In just a matter of a few years, He supernaturally brought everything that takes the majority of people over thirty to forty years to build in the natural—in just a short window of time, and it’s hardly even finished.

“I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten.” (Joel 2:25, NIV)

This life doesn’t come to us by luck though. We must understand that. I’m not some sort of special case who deserves something better than anyone else. We can’t be tricked by that common lie. I’m also not some sort of sin-free, super-righteous phenomenon either. I’m so far from that—it’s not even funny. Yes, I have sin issues much like anyone else, but Jesus sacrificed Himself on the Cross for this—so the point still remains: God will use anyone who will say “yes.”     The Bible says that the Lord shows no partiality. Because of this, we start to realize that our Father will take us as seriously as we take Him. This is how the math works.

For God does not show favoritism. (Romans 2:11, NIV)

Following all those years of destruction, God presented me with a new life after my last night. Even so, did He force a victorious, power-filled life on me? Absolutely not. I still had many correct choices to make; and as a matter of speaking—nothing has changed today.

Of course, God helps those who help themselves, so we realize that many correct decisions (in surrender) submersed in an honest relationship with Him, results in victory. In other words, God wants us to co-labor (partner) with Him to achieve His divine assignments, and also, for us to arrive at kingdom destinations. In order for this to start happening, the first correct choice has to be our “yes” every single day. This entire journey is a compilation of correct choices yielding the word yes through sacrifice.

Because God shows no partiality or favoritism, we can safely conclude that our choices certainly matter. If the Lord can not only spare me, but then also advance me in His presence, intimacy, power, privilege, and favor—with a history like this, then He can do this for anyone.

There is just no question about it. This is the “Good News.”