The Story That Changed My Life
by Nick Walker
Originally published in Billy Graham's Decision Magazine Sept. 1993
As someone who works in television news broadcasting, I sometimes have been asked, "What makes a good news story?" Before I began forecasting weather, I was a television news reporter for several years, and even now I am called upon to do news stories now and then. Early in my career I found that a good news story has relevance, is well-documented and often helps people make important decisions. But I was 26 years old before I became convinced of the newsworthiness of one particular story. When I finally did, it changed my life.
I had not set out to become a news or weather reporter. Although I studied broadcasting and journalism in college, most of my time was taken up with music. I played in rock bands, performing first for high school and college dances, then in night clubs, hoping to be discovered by a talent scout or record company.
My parents, who were conservative churchgoers, watched my musical career with concern. As my band became more popular, I became less interested in the values and morals that I had embraced in high school. It was a compromise that I was more than willing to make so that I could see my musical career flourish. Foremost in my life was the pursuit of success--at any price.
But after I worked full time for two years in night clubs, the Christian teaching that I had learned prevailed. The disorderly and amoral lifestyle that I had chosen became distasteful to me. I returned to school to take up studies in broadcasting.
My lifestyle had changed, but unfortunately my priorities had not. Everything else in my life was still secondary to my pursuit of success. My television career came first, before friends, before family, before God.
But God still had a news story for me to hear. It happened while I was a news anchor at a television station in the Midwest. I believed that I was the greatest newsperson in town, and I let my co-workers know it. In fact, my self-inflated ego was so strong that one co-worker confided to me that some people thought that I was the most conceited person they knew.
It was true. I was stepping on others in my quest for success. I had no time for anyone who couldn't help me further my goals. I loved no one; I used everyone.
But in the midst of my search for success, I knew deep down that my life lacked stability. My self-confidence lasted only as long as people told me what a great reporter I was. My peace of mind was wrapped up in how well I performed on the job. My self-worth was only as good as my most recent broadcast.
There must be something more, I thought, something more permanent, something that I can hold on to whether or not I am "successful" in my work. So one Sunday I went to church looking for that "something."
I had attended church regularly when I was younger, but now I was searching, listening. I began to hear the Bible taught as I had never before heard it. It was relevant. It was real life, and it spoke to my needs. I began to understand that Jesus' life, death and resurrection were well-documented, compiled from eyewitness accounts.
I finally realized that, in the Person of Jesus Christ, an incredible news story was staring me right in the face!
While I was considering this new twist in my life, I heard from one of the musicians who had been in my rock band. He had become a Christian and was now performing contemporary gospel music. I was interested in his new career. When he gave me a copy of his album, I couldn't wait to hear it.
The third song I listened to stopped me in my tracks. It was a song about priorities. A line in the song asked the question, "What has my time?" It was a question that I had never thought about.
What had my time? The search for success, fame, money, the search for all the other things that the world says are important. And I wasn't spending any time on the things that God says are important: reading His plan for us in the Bible, building a relationship with Him, learning to love others. My priorities were earthly pleasures that will one day pass away. I had nothing that would last. From that day, I determined that my priorities were going to change.
As the impact of Jesus' love for me grew in my heart, I realized that He loves me so much that He endured a cruel death so that I can be forgiven and freed from the eternal consequences of my selfishness and pride. And I realized that Jesus rose from the dead to show that there is much more for me after this earthly life. Jesus is the Good News.
The story of Jesus led me to a decision. Jesus said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but by me." (John 14:6, RSV). I chose to believe that this is the truth about Jesus Christ.
Not long after that, a co-worker at the television station confided to me that those who had earlier found me to be conceited were noticing a change in me. The reason? When I asked Jesus to take charge of my life, He redefined my priorities. He gave me the peace and the confidence that come from letting Him lead me. He showed me how to love Him and how to love others. He showed me that worldly success means nothing without Christ at the center of my life.
I have worked in television for several years now. I still take pride in my work, but it's not what I live for. My life isn't limited to my job. My greatest joy comes not from having a good broadcast, but from seeing others encouraged in Christ through the ministries in which I am involved, from seeing God at work in my marriage and in my everyday circumstances, and from watching our children grow in the knowledge of Jesus. My peace comes not in fleeting fame or financial gain, but in basking in God's grace, in knowing where my eternal destiny lies.
God showed me that my musical talent is a gift from Him. I now help lead music at my church, and I have recorded several albums of original songs, challenging and encouraging fellow Christians and witnessing to those still unconvinced of Christ's saving love.
It's a daily struggle to keep my priorities in perspective, especially because we live in a world where headlines and values are different almost every day. But I know personally the greatest news Anchor of all, whose headline will never change. The lead story in my life will always be "Jesus Saves."
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