Billy Graham is turning 90 on 7 Nov. He’s been blessed with an amazing ministry and God has used him mightily for the past six or more decades. I came across some a blog entry and a news article about his life and ministry and what really resonated with me was though he had many responsibilities and such a big ministry, he was still humble, down-to-earth and a very engaged family man.
His family is very large: he has 19 grandchildren. As far as I can tell, many of them are faithful Christians. He has a grandson, Tullian Tchividjian, who is a pastor at New City Church in Margate, Florida. Tullian recalls that his grandparents were always gracious to family members, even when they went off the deep end. Billy never waved a finger or told his children to get their acts right or say they were tarnishing the family name. Billy was always well aware of his own sinfulness and so he reached out in love to others.
He also loved to keep in touch with his family. He would much rather spend time with his family then hang out with world leaders. And his grandsons say that he is a simple man, preferring cafeterias to fancy restaurants and cheap suits to expensive clothes.
Just from those little bits of description of what Billy Graham is like, I am deeply encouraged. His humbleness is something to emulate. He is humble because he appreciates God’s magnificence. I must learn to love God’s magnificence more. He is loving and gracious because he is keenly aware of his own sin nature and more aware of how much grace God extended to him. I must learn to be more aware of my own sinfulness and of God’s sovereign grace. He made time for his family despite a busy work schedule. I must remember that God’s mandate for me at this season is to raise my family in the way of the Lord and that means spending time with them at the expense of career, friends, hobbies and other earthly distractions.
[Learn more about how Billy Graham affect people's lives at ThankYouBilly.com]
