Issue 1| 2023

STEPPING FORWARD
YOU DON’T HAVE TO GO BACK
BY DANNY R. COX
I HAD JUST A FEW MONTHS LEFT ON MY ten-year
prison sentence when a friend said to me, “I don’t know
how you’ve been able to do these ten years, Danny.”
Without thinking, I said, “One day at a time, John.”
If you think about it, we’re all doing time somewhere.
The question is, what are we doing, every day, with the
time we’ve been given?
There are two things we all do, no matter who we are.
One, we live till we die, and two, every day we’re alive,
we make decisions. Good decisions generally lead to
good results, and bad decisions usually lead to bad ones.
I’ll admit, I have made more than my share of bad
decisions—but that doesn’t mean I have to continue
making them. No way! It took serving time in 12 federal
prisons and 5 county jails in 8 states for me to come to
my senses, but I’ve now made it my aim to make the
best decisions I can.
I’m in my 70s, and I have been out of prison for 20
years now, clean and green. I guess you could say I’ve
“learned a thing or two, about a thing or two.”
Society has decided that incarceration is a form of
punishment that will deter an individual from making
If you think
about it,
we’re all
doing time
somewhere.
The question
is, what are
we doing
with each
day, every
day?
the same bad decisions a second time. But does it?
Recently, I asked the men at a Bible study I
teach at a halfway house to raise their hands if
they had done more than one bit. More than half
of them raised their hands. One man had been
down 11 times. But then he said, “This is the last
time, because I’ve found Jesus.”
Hold that thought!
What is it about Jesus that can prevent someone
from going back to prison? Shouldn’t the
shame, guilt, and financial hardship we’ve placed
on our families be enough? Or living miles away
from everything we love? How about living in
fear and constantly looking over our shoulders?
For so many, none of those things prevent them
from going back to their old ways and ultimately
returning to prison. But Jesus can change things.
Galatians 3:22 says, “we are all prisoners of sin,
so we receive God’s promise of freedom only by
believing in Jesus Christ” (NLT).
I got right with God during my first two weeks
in jail by accepting Jesus into my life. In that moment,
I knew that I was corrected. Sure, I still had
to serve the rest of my time and work through some wrong thinking, but
from that day until now, Jesus has been doing time with me. He’s helped
me overcome every obstacle I’ve met. He’s given me His strength, wisdom,
peace, and power to face each day.
Is Jesus doing time with you, or are you still trying to do everything your
way? Whatever trial you’re facing, are you doing it with Him or on your own?
I’ve tried doing life my way. It didn’t work. But when I began doing things
God’s way, everything changed. He is the reason I am an ex-con, an ex-drug
dealer, an ex-drug addict, and an ex-alcoholic.
I saw a poster once that said, “Never be a prisoner of your past. It was
just a lesson, not a life sentence.” With Jesus, you can be free from your
past, once and for all. His truth and Spirit can set you free (John 8:32; 2
Corinthians 3:17).
Stop trying to do things your way. Let Jesus change your heart and mind
so He can change your ways and future. You don’t have to go back to your
dead-end ways; you don’t have to be a statistic.
Life is about decisions, and the most important decision you can ever
make is to ask Jesus to be your Lord and Savior. Go ahead, make it today.
When you do, Jesus will come into your life and serve your time with you.
PHOTO BY GUNNAR RATHBUN
DANNY R. COX was called by God to be an evangelist while serving time in prison.
He is now a credentialed evangelist and correctional chaplain and serves on the board
of KOJ Ministries. Danny shares his story in churches and prisons worldwide. His book,
High on a Lie, may be purchased on Amazon in English and Spanish. He is the founder of
Prison2Preacher Ministries.
32 Issue 01 / 2023 VICTORIOUSLIVINGMAGAZINE.COM