A Christian with no arms and no legs says his strength is in ‘Christ, prayer and daily Bible reading.’
Nick Vujicic is an Australian-American – born without arms or legs – who has become a world-renowned Christian speaker, New York Times best-selling author, coach and entrepreneur. ‘Dis-arming Nick’ is the phrase headlining his personal website.
The husband, and father of four children, closed his recent visit to Spain with an evangelistic message to thousands: ‘God loves you and has a purpose for your life’, which he gave at #Stopbullying talk. He also said: ‘I respect all beliefs, but my strength is my faith in Christ, prayer and daily Bible reading’.
Nick faced tremendous obstacles in life, from living without limbs to being bullied at school and fearful for his future, with no purpose in sight. Without hope, his feelings of helplessness and isolation led him to attempt suicide. He is now an anti-bullying advocate who speaks to millions of students in partnership with several Government Education departments. He has created an innovative Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Curriculum called ‘Attitude Is Altitude’, where he teaches students how to make positive changes in their lives and their communities.
‘I can do everything with God, one day at a time’ is Nick’s motto. It is how he overcomes personal limitations, no matter how difficult they may seem. But his message is not one of superficial triumphalism. ‘We all have ups and downs in life. Two years ago I went through a period of depression. I needed psychological help. But I have faith; I don’t give up because God is with me.
‘I have discovered that my greatest disability is my unbelief,’ he told his audience at the Palace of Congresses of Madrid, where over 90% of the seats were filled. Nick believes in a miracle-working God, as the Bible teaches. ‘I have a pair of shoes stashed in my wardrobe in case God makes my legs grow. But I’ve discovered that if God doesn’t do the miracle I’m hoping for, I can be the miracle!’.
He speaks to them of the love of God, who heals the brokenhearted. That he loves us just as we are. That he has a purpose for our lives. ‘Many people suffer from depression because they don’t know the purpose of their lives,’ he says. ‘God loves you as you are and He has a purpose for your life’.
He concludes by inviting those who have never done so to receive the love of Jesus into their hearts. To believe in Jesus and follow him. And he leads them in prayer. Hundreds stand at his invitation, expressing their desire to know God and trust Him.
The Madrid conference was streamed to 2,500 sites in Spain and elsewhere. Over 27,000 people watched it on YouTube.
Samuil Petrovski, President of the Serbian Evangelical Alliance and General Secretary of the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students, has written of a previous tour by Vujicic: ‘Everywhere Nick spoke it was clear that his words had a huge impact – large portions of the crowd in each venue cried or showed emotion as he spoke, and every time he spoke he mentioned his faith and the hope that God can offer. Nick’s unapologetic gospel message and widespread acceptance make him unique, and we are grateful for the opportunity we had to host him.’
