We all hope for a better-life.

An interesting article on All Black rugby union player Brad Thorn appeared in the Courier Mail’s Qweekend July 31- August 1.2010. Here is an extract from the article written by Trent Dalton.

‘Thorn says that in 1997, he was at his “absolute loosest”. “I had money, the car, the house. When I was younger I thought once I had that stuff I would be happy. But once I had that stuff I just wanted more stuff. Then I was thinking, “I’m going downhill with all this stuff.’”
On a league tour of Britain representing Australia, he shared a room with fellow forward Jason Stevens, a devout Christian. Stevens was known among the team for insisting he’d be celibate until he was married. “Jason stood out to me,” Thorn says. “I said to him, ‘I like Christians, they’re nice people. When I’m older, I’ll be one but I don’t want to be a hypocrite that says he’s a Christian but he’s a loose cannon.”’ Stevens smiled, simply suggesting his roommate should one day try talking to Jesus.
“I went home for a couple of months after the tour and just kept on with my sort of ways.” Thorn says. “And I got to a point one day at my house where I realised I wasn’t changing.” He remembers what he said to Jesus. He said, “Jesus, I don’t know if you’re there or not, but I’m sorry for the stuff I’ve done. Please help me turn this life around and I’ll go forward from there.” Not the most flowery prayer ever uttered, but honest and heartfelt. “There was no ray of light or anything,” Thorn says. “I just got on with things and thought I’d just keep it to myself and see if there was any change. Then a couple of months later, at the Broncos, a few blokes were asking my roommate, Shane Webeke, if something was different about me and that’s when I knew things had changed for me. Webbie was good. He had my back…it’s not the most popular thing to be a Christian in a footy team.”’ (End of Quote used with permission.)

I found this testimony refreshing in five ways.

1. Brad Thorn says, ‘I had money, the car, the house. When I was younger I thought once I had that stuff I would be happy. But once I had that stuff I just wanted more stuff.’ He had everything that the world could offer, but it did not bring happiness. The happiness that he thought he would find proved illusive because greed accompanied the stuff he accumulated. It would be true to say that Brad Thorn hoped for a better-life, a life having more and more stuff could not give.

2. Brad Thorn saw in the life of Jason Stevens the kind of life he would like to live. The simple advice of Jason Stevens that Brad speaks to Jesus about his life was backed up with a lifestyle that bore witness to a life set free by Christ.

3. Brad Thorn’s team-mates knew he was a Christian not so much because he told them, but they noted a changed life. You cannot be walking with the Lord and continue to live like the world.

4. It is interesting that Brad Thorn says, “It’s not the most popular thing to be a Christian in a footy team.” Any Christian working or living surrounded by unbelievers will find that they are not very popular. It is better to be content in the Lord than to be very popular, but dissatisfied with life.

5. The final aspect of this article that is interesting is the honesty of Brad Thorn. The honesty comes out in three ways. Firstly in recognising the truth about himself: ‘I’m going downhill with all this stuff.’ His successfulness did not deceive him; he saw he was on a downhill slide. Secondly when he said ‘I don’t want to be a hypocrite that says he’s a Christian but he’s a loose cannon.’ A Christian without a positive witness is a hypocrite. Thirdly in the description of his conversion: “Jesus, I don’t know if you’re there or not, but I’m sorry for the stuff I’ve done. Please help me turn this life around and I’ll go forward from there.” Not the most flowery prayer ever uttered, but honest and heartfelt. “There was no ray of light or anything.” Not only was his prayer honest and heartfelt, but he deliberately says there was nothing dramatic or extraordinary in committing his life to the Lord.

It is significant that even though from a worldly perspective Brad had it all he still hoped for a better life. The better-life is to be found in Jesus, who in John 10:10 says, ‘I have come to that they may have it (life) more abundantly.’ This is not life with the abundance of more-stuff, but a life that is more abundant because one is reconciled to God.