Ask Big Dog: February Edition

Marlon "Big Dog" Brown experienced a twenty year run of homelessness, drug addiction,  and jail time before Jesus changed his life.  By God's grace, he has come to know Jesus and through Jesus he has been sober for 11 years.  Marlon began working at SOS in 2004 as an Assistant Construction Director.  Big Dog spends his free time serving those who are living the life he used to live.  He desires to see individuals find Jesus and leave their destructive lifestyles.

This blog series will be featured the first week of each month.  You can follow along with his ministry on his personal Facebook page or his Street Ministry Facebook page.

Question:

Big Dog, you are constantly trying to help individuals realize their potential. With drug addiction, what does it take for folks to live towards their potential in Christ?

Response from Big Dog:

For me to realize that I needed Christ, I needed the pain, suffering, homelessness, stabbing, ostracizing from family, loss of possessions, loneliness, beatings, being shot at, multiple incarcerations, loss of jobs, being kicked out of college, and ultimately the realization that I could do more.  That was all necessary for me.  I of course believe that without those sufferings, Christ can still move and change hearts.  For me, I had to experience those things to accept Christ's offer to live for him.  It was then that I was desperate and could see my need of Christ.

As long as folks are content with the drugs, sex, alcohol and things of the world they may not see their own need for Christ.  Those things may act as their functional savior and leave them in desperate situations.   The realization of who you are and what value you have in Christ is important.  God has equated our value to Christ.  When we fail to see our value in God's eyes and believe we need drugs, alcohol, sex, crime, and material possessions, we are blind.

I often speak value into individual's lives that they are worth more sober than addicted.  I provide opportunities: resources, employment, rehabilitation, housing, support, education--yet still I am insufficient to saving some of my friends from the streets.  They must see themselves needy and be desperate for Jesus Christ.  I am merely hoping to point them to the hope of the gospel.  It takes an act of God for some of my street friends to make it from drug addiction or prostitution to an "abundant life."

Please comment below or email askbigdog@sosmemphis.org if you would like to ask Big Dog a question for MARCH's blogpost!