It is always an exciting testimony when a person bound up in habits does a complete turnaround.  It is even more exciting when that same person encourages others to do better.  He uses his own examples to show it can be done. 

The encouragement goes both ways.  While the changed heart is encouraging others to become more like Christ, he receives encouragement watching others improve.  The encouragement goes round and round with Christ at the center.

Most people will not have such a dramatic experience but the grace of God is the same.  Friends sit with friends one on one and encourage each other through hardships.  Things unfold as a result of even one person trusting.  There are people who pray and many times no one ever knows.  There is a closeness being created between God and that praying person that is beautiful beyond words.

With God, if it is one person secretly praying for another or a minister with a gift of reaching multitudes of people He is equally pleased.

There are situations where prayers are said for years for a person to have a change of heart.  It’s sometimes difficult to remain optimistic but God knows how to encourage along the way.  The simple example of a beautiful rose on the top of a stem of thorns shows that God comes through.  It takes many thorns going up the stem of a rose before the bud appears.  We never know when we are crossing that last thorn and will see the change of a situation. 

What God did through the Apostle Paul is proof that God can change any heart.  God’s grace is available to all people just for trusting. 

1 Corinthians 15:9-10

 For I am the least of all the apostles. In fact, I’m not even worthy to be called an apostle after the way I persecuted God’s church. But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me—and not without results. For I have worked harder than any of the other apostles; yet it was not I but God who was working through me by His grace.