Note from the Board – Scott Genzman – 2024

Praise God Moments by Scott Genzman

I recently had quite an eye opening and, to a significant degree, life-changing experience. I have had back pain for the last 40 years that, at times, could be debilitating for weeks at a time. I had been making very slow progress by trying a bunch of things over the last fifteen years but had resigned myself to just living with the pain. I finally decided to hire a physical therapist to help me learn to exercise and get stronger without hurting my back even further. Frankly, I didn’t hold out much hope that she could help me with my back pain. Over time, as I visited this therapist several times, she showed me various ways I could assist the healing of my back pain by stretching and moving certain ways. This was HUGE for me as it gave me relief and even peace from almost constant back pain.

But then the big moment came. I was telling her that I had been having this pain for 40 years and that I simply have a bad back. She stopped me right after I said that, looked me straight in the eye, and said something empowering: “So, you don’t have a bad back. You have a back that is weaker than the rest of your body. Your back needs to be rehabbed, and I can help with that.”

I thought, are you kidding me? Not only do I not have to live with the pain for the next several years, but I can be even stronger than before. What a praise God kind of moment. What a practical lesson in being empowered, especially on a spiritual level.

Of course, we know that the ultimate empowering comes from the Holy Spirit. When we truly understand who we are in Christ, how much He loves and cares for us demonstrated by the ultimate price that was paid for our salvation, we can begin to understand why He empowers us to be so much more than we sometimes think we can be.

God gives us those “praise God” revelations in various ways, whether reading His Word, through prayer, or just by sending someone our way – like my physical therapist – to remind us that we are empowered. Aren’t those moments exciting and humbling as we make a breakthrough in whatever thought we had that was holding us back from being all we can be in Christ? I know I treasure those moments.

And let’s not forget that God chooses to use each of us to help someone else become empowered to change their thoughts and, in turn, their circumstances. To give them the hope that they can learn – as the old adage says – “to fish, not just be given a fish.” Empowering someone else is one of the greatest gifts we can give that person.

Empowering others to live abundant lives in Christ is what Unite 4 Africa is about. More than 6000 leaders who work with Unite 4 Africa are doing just that all across the globe. First, empowering their friends and neighbors in the knowledge of Jesus and his love for them. Then helping those folks discover the far-reaching possibilities God has in store for them and helping to empower them to change their circumstances.

Imagine what just one empowered individual can do for God’s Kingdom. How many lives that one person can reach for Christ. The Apostle Paul comes to mind. Once he became empowered through God’s Holy Spirit, his eyes – both spiritually and, in his case, physically – were opened to a world of possibilities. And once he was empowered and dedicated to obeying God’s direction, the world was changed one heart at a time.

I invite you today to visit the Unite 4 Africa web page and read under the news tab about the 100’s of people whose lives were empowered and changed just last month alone. You and I are being used by God to help facilitate those changes all across the globe. For me, at least every time I slow down and think about this for a bit, I have another praise God moment, and I thank Him for you and your willingness to be used by our awesome Lord.