From Loner to Leader: How God Used a Young Man Who Thought he was Worthless to Transform his Entire Family

Why doesn’t my father love me?

It’s a question many of us ask since an estimated one third of young people live in a fatherless home. When you grow up without the love and support of a parent, it can cause you to question whether or not you’re worth anything. But discovering that God is a father who believes in you can change everything. That’s what one young man from Mauritius learned when he started using Waha to explore faith.

Meet Jeremy

[

View this post on Instagram

](https://www.instagram.com/reel/CvIOS98NZnj/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading)

A post shared by waha (@waha.app)

Jeremy grew up without a father in his life. He isn’t the vengeful type, though. He always tried to assume the best of his dad, but he couldn’t help wondering if there was something wrong with him. Because when he looked at his family dynamic, nothing seemed right. He and his sisters constantly fought. There was a sense of comparison among them, trying to prove who was the best, and he felt that he often came out at the bottom.

That’s when he decided to take a job translating for a group of young people from the United States who were coming to visit his country. He wasn’t sure about it when he saw the ad on Instagram, but he felt something like a voice inside of him telling him that a door was being opened for him and everything would change if he walked through it.

The Americans used an app called Waha to facilitate a discovery-based Bible study, and Jeremy participated in it with them. One day while praying, one of the young believers asked what lies he believed about himself. Hot tears began to stream down his face.

“That I’m worthless,” he said.

And that was the moment everything began to change.

How Jeremy discovered that HE was the key to healing his family

As Jeremy continued participating in these Discover Bible Studies (DBS), he noticed some changes within himself. He began to learn that God was like a father to him and how, even when he was a kid, wondering why his dad didn’t want to be around, God was always there, watching over him and proud of him.

As he shared more about his personal life and painful family dynamic with his new American friends, they suggested the idea of starting a DBS at his house with his family. He excitedly agreed. In his mind, these young people from abroad were experts. He thought that since they had helped him so much, they could also fix his family.

Much to his dismay, however, even after setting up a meeting between his new friends and his family, no one seemed interested. The American youth tried calling his sisters and mother, but no one returned their messages. Maybe it really was too late for him and his family.

But one day, as he was at home, his sister asked about his job translating. He told them about the DBS format and how they used an app to do it. That’s when the thought struck him. It’s so simple to do a DBS, especially with the Waha app. Why couldn’t he do it with his own family? So he asked his family if they would like to meet and this time they said yes!

So, after only 3 weeks of meeting to read the Bible and discuss it together, Jeremy’s family began to change. Instead of fighting with one another, they began to pray for one another. Instead of competing for their mother’s affection, he and his sisters began to support each other. He was even able to coach one of his sisters on how she could use Waha to start another DBS at her work.

All of this showed Jeremy that God used him—not his foreign friends—to bring transformation to his family.

“I guess I’m not worthless anymore,” he said, smiling.

How it worked

• Discovery: What Jeremy loved more than anything else about the DBS format was that no one was the expert. Growing up, he always thought the Bible was something that needed to be explained to him by some religious teacher or leader. But in a DBS meeting, there was no one around to tell him what to believe or shame him for not being perfect.
• Community: Jeremy also said that his time doing DBS with the American youth was like the first time he had ever experienced true family. They always began their meetings by sharing what they were thankful for. Prayer for each other and encouraging one another was the main highlight each time they met.
• Reproducibility: Perhaps one of the biggest shifts for Jeremy came when he realized he didn’t need anyone’s help to start a new DBS group with his family. Because the Waha app is designed to facilitate a DBS with the simple press of a button, Jeremy found it easy to reproduce the meetings he was having with his new friends. Plus, it was available in French, so the members of his family who weren’t comfortable in English could still meet.

Conclusion

Jeremy’s story can be your story, too! If you’ve ever felt like your family doesn’t look like the perfect families we see on TV, or if you’re one of the many people who question your value, God wants to reveal Himself to you. He loves you and is proud of you. Many of us just need to prove our worth to ourselves, the way Jeremy did. If you or someone you love might be interested in discovering the love of a God who can transform entire families, click here to learn more about Waha!

‍