This will be probably the most inspiring man you will ever hear.
Nick Vujicic: My name is Nick Vujicic and I’m from Australia. And this morning I want to share with you my testimony as to how God has given me grace, strength and comfort through my disability and how you can have victory, peace and joy in your life, even if circumstances are still present in your life that don’t make sense or cause your world to turn upside down.
RHS: And all God’s people said, Wow! Wow!
NV: Praise God!
RHS: Wow! When we say wow here it means, walking on water. What a life yeah
NV: That’s good.
RHS: What a life yeah, it’s great you are great. In case people aren’t aware or didn’t catch the message, you were born this way, right?
NV: Correct, yes.
RHS: How did it happen? How come you were born without limbs?
NV: Well I’m 24 and there’s actually no medical reason why this has happened. My mom was a nurse and she knew exactly what to do and what not to do in her first pregnancy, so I’m their first born son and it was such a great tragedy and we had many questions, they had many questions as parents. I had many questions as a child. But there were no answers. The world cannot tell us why I was born this way. But I now see the glory of God in it and I just give God all glory and thanks and praise because I am wonderfully and fearfully made. So He has a..
RHS: That’s wonderful.
NV: ..plan and a hope and future for everybody.
RHS: Wow. Well, how have your parents handled this? I think, of course, when you were born this way, you were not aware of it.
NV: That’s right.
RHS: But your parents were dramatically aware of it. How did they handle it?
NV: It was.. I can’t explain in words. They can’t even explain in words to me how it felt. They went through many stages of denial and depression but it was about four months of them, they straight away took me home after I was born, raised me up just like any other child, but God’s peace guided their heart after four months. And they were able to then trust in God and it was just such a great shock because there’s no trace of any birth defects in either families, I have a brother and a sister born after me and they have no birth defects. But it’s just amazing to see the miracle of God’s grace in my parent’s life as they raised me up, as they trusted in God in such a stressful and anxious time of their life.
RHS: Now you have no arms, no legs but you have part of a foot.
NV: I have a little chicken drumstick, you see. This is amazing. We call this a chicken drumstick because first of all it looks like one, and second of all sometimes my dog thinks its one. And he comes up every now and then to start biting on it and I have to kick him in the head a little bit but its amazing. This little thing; I have the ability to type 43 words a minute on a normal computer; by the grace of God I’ve accomplished a double degree in accounting and financial planning. I can.. praise God. I’ve learned how to write and I can walk around and I have this wheelchair and this seat actually goes up and down, so I can be quite independent at home, as you’ve seen on the video, so..
RHS: Wonderful.
NV: Yeah.
RHS: Are you self-employed?
NV: You know what? It’s amazing how God has been using me in the last five years of my life. I’ve spoken across 12 nations as a preacher, an evangelist, and I’ve gone across Africa and Southeast Asia. We just came back from India and we had crowds of a hundred thousand people and it’s just to see tens of thousands to commit their lives to Jesus Christ is amazing, so basically I am very excited to say that we have established a non-profit 501C3 organization called Life Without Limbs, which is an organization that funds all that we do. It helps me to go around the world and share basically my story with the world, through DVD’s, and all the information is there, the DVD’s there and my whole story. My purpose in life is to go out to the world and say if I can trust in God with my circumstances, then you can trust in God with your circumstances. And we know that God’s grace is sufficient and if He doesn’t answer your prayers, just know that He is with you and that’s the message, to fear not for I am with you. That’s what God said. So..
RHS: Matthew 19:26 says, “Nothing is impossible with God.”
NV: Wow.
RHS: But I’ve never had anybody that can match your power of affirming that Bible verse. Nobody can match you. Nobody else has been through this.
NV: You know what? A lot of people say Nick I can never imagine what you’ve gone through or you’re the most inspirational story or something like that. And I take that to heart. I praise God for the inspiration that I am to the world. But, its not to say that there’s someone else out there going through pain. See we all are denying ourselves and taking up our cross. We all know how it feels to be lonely or broken and the thing is this, is I could look at you and I say you know what; maybe the things that you’ve gone through are maybe worse than I have. And you’re thinking no, no, no I could never imagine myself without arms or legs. You see we can’t and we should not compare sufferings but this is what we do as a family of God. Come together..
RHS: Okay stop, stop.. repeat that.
NV: Sorry.
RHS: We should not compare sufferings. That’s a great concept. It’s a great line.
NV: What we do is we come together as a family of God, hand in hand, holding your hand metaphorically speaking..
RHS: Yes.
NV: ..yeah. And then together coming and standing upon the promises of God, knowing that no matter who you are, no matter what you’re going through, that God knows it, He’s with you, He’s going to pull you through. I’m just an empty vessel. That’s all I am. It’s not about me, it’s not about my achievements, it’s not about what I can do and what I can’t do. But it’s who I’ve become by the power of Jesus Christ. That’s the message.
RHS: You’re 24 years old?
NV: Correct.
RHS: Were there some very, very low times and how did you get through them?
NV: My, one of my lowest times, I do remember, was when I was 8 years old. I don’t know if you know this, but I actually grew up in a Christian home..
RHS: Yes.
NV: ..and 11 months.
RHS: Your father was a pastor.
NV: My father was a pastor.
RHS: Still is maybe.
NV: Still is a pastor. Praise God. They actually planted a church 11 months before I was born. And it was very difficult as a pastors son to go to church at times, not because I’m tired or anything, but it was because I went to Sunday school and I learned that Jesus loves me. And that I am wonderfully and fearfully made. But I got angry at God. I said I don’t understand this and at age 8, I read Jeremiah chapter 29 verse 11 and it says, “For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future.” I said God what kind of hope and future do I have? I never thought I’d ever get a job, I went to school, a lot of kids teased me. I had a very good couple of friends that helped me through that. And my family, I praise God for the parents and family I have. Without them I know I wouldn’t be here. But God’s using me in a powerful way but let me just say this that I wanted to end my life. I didn’t see a future or a hope. I never thought I’d get married. I said God even if I ever did get married, I can’t even hold my wife’s hand. I won’t be able to dance with my bride on our wedding night. When we have children, how am I going to put my arms around my kids when they’re crying? These things were important to me and no one could tell me that everything was going to be okay. And even if they did, I can’t believe them. There’s two things in life that we want to hear as human beings. First of all that we’re loved, second of all everything is going to be okay.
RHS: Yeah.
NV: And the greatest thing that God has given me is His love. To know that He does love me and when there are things that happen in my life that I don’t understand, and in your life, when things happen in your life and you don’t understand the purpose, the question is this: is God worthy of your thanks? Is God still worthy of your praises? A lot of people say that verse “the joy of the Lord is my strength.” What does that mean? What is your joy? Why can you rejoice always? Because the joy of having Jesus Christ loving you so much that He died for my sin, He’s given me salvation. This life here is temporary. But you know what? I love the fact that that is the greatest joy of all; having Jesus Christ in my life and living the godly purpose He has for me. And I can be thankful. I thank God. I thank God He said no when I asked Him for arms and legs.
RHS: Did you?
NV: I did. I pleaded with God. God, give me arms, legs. I cried myself to sleep at night. I was hoping that when I’d wake up in the morning that I’d have arms and legs. I thought it’d be a great miracle. I mean imagine right now, if God gave me arms and legs, we’re on TV, how many people wouldn’t believe that miracle? But I stand before you today as a miracle of God. To prove to everybody a pure example of God’s grace, love and perfection. To know that I’m the miracle. We are more than conquerors. Circumstances do not have to change for you to become victorious. It’s our heart that needs to be filled with the Holy spirit.
RHS: Wow.