A teenager uses gaming and 'Discord' to encourage another teen
I’ve been aware that I need to go out and make disciples. However, I’m an introvert and I’ve felt a lack of confidence and uncomfortable speaking to people. Speaking to people like this [addressing the audience] goes against all my natural instincts. However, Davey Rosselli helped me understand that my words carry weight and that I’m able to help other people to feel heard and helped.
This year I’ve been playing an online game and I was paired up with a guy. Because we played well together, we were paired up together for a few more matches. After the games, we started chatting and I discovered that he was 15 years old and that he was Afrikaans (like me) and that he was in South Africa. That is extremely rare!
He asked me to add him as a friend on Discord, which is like WhatsApp for games.
Later we had a voice chat after a game. I felt very uncomfortable because he swore very often. But I decided to be as kind and encouraging to him as I possibly could be.
After that we had another chat and this time he didn’t swear once. From his online status, I picked up that he’d just gone through a breakup and that it wasn’t his first breakup either.
I immediately sent him a message to encourage him, however, I didn’t mention God yet as I didn’t know his religion. Later, I saw him post something on his status that was motivational and related to God. Then, out of the blue, he sent me a heartfelt prayer thanking the Lord for the people around him.
From there I began to share verses with him and motivational Christian videos and we organised to have another gaming session.
As we chatted I found out that he had been really hurt through relationships by the people closest to him. He said that he didn’t have anyone to talk to about these things and he usually bottled up his thoughts and feelings. He said he never opens up to anyone.
Amazingly, in our next session, he started talking and pouring out his heart to me, without any prompting from my side. He still has a way to go but this has been a big step towards him becoming a true disciple of Christ.
This journey that I’ve started walking with him has been birthed by God in a place (gaming and Discord) that I’d never considered an opportunity for discipleship.
People, myself included, don’t think of online games as a space to reach other people, but God can use you to open a wealth of opportunities, as long as everything you do is for the glory of his name. – Daniel
