Richard Rufus
I SWAPPED PITCHES FOR PULPIT
HE captainedEngland’s Under 21s and played alongside the likes of David Beckham and Nicky Butt, making almost 300 appearances in an impressive career with Charlton Athletic.
But centre-half Richard Rufus, who had to retire through a knee injury, says the biggest achievement in his life was when he became a Christian.
Rufus, 36, has since swapped the pitch for the pulpit and is now a youth pastor inLondon.
He said: “It was an honour for me to be playing for England Under 21s, let alone being captain. You definitely need God because money and fortune is not the be all and end all of life.
“There is a Scripture in the Bible that says if you can gain the whole world and lose yourself, what does it profit you? And that is something that touched me just before I got saved, and it is something I hold onto right now.
“We need God, as he gives you that peace, security and abundant life.”
How do you treat the glorious name of God? Do you handle it with reverence and awe, or do you throw it around carelessly, without a second thought about how your use of it might affect a co-worker’s impression of your heavenly Father?
