The world is broken and God has made it clear that you are his plan for fixing it. It’s not about the money. It’s not about the time. It’s not about the resources it takes to make something happen; the brains, the talents and abilities. It’s about your commitment. God will use ordinary people to do extraordinary things, but you’ve got to be ready!
Listen, I want to change the world. I want my life to be the difference between what is and something better. According to God I am part of the thin red line between heaven and hell, and since it’s the blood of Jesus that makes that line red, I take that responsibility seriously. And the odds are that I’m not going to be the guy that cures cancer, but I’m pretty sure I can accomplish something, not only because the Bible says I can, but because my life is like that story about the little boy and the starfish:
Once there was a storm, and the storm left a particular beach covered with starfish. A man was walking along the beach looking at the devastation when he noticed a small boy picking up the starfish and throwing them back into the ocean one by one. The man said to the boy, “Why are you doing that? There are thousands of starfish here and you’ll only get to a few before they die. You really won’t make any difference.” And the boy picked up another starfish, threw it into the surf and replied, “I made a difference to that one.”
There are billions of people on this earth. What difference can I make? I don’t know. But each and every person whose life I can help change is a person who matters. Everyone counts. So if I only change one, isn’t that something worth doing?
I heard another story about a woman who lives on the East Coast. I can’t remember where exactly, but she grew up in somewhere in that mess that used to be Yugoslavia. As a little girl her life was torn apart by the genocidal war between the Serbians and Croatians and Bosnians. I don’t think the war has a name, but the words “Ethnic Cleansing” were used a lot. Anyway, I can’t imagine being a child in a war zone, how that must feel. Bullets and blood and bombs going off, and fear and violence everywhere… not much to be happy about. Then one day, at Christmas, she got a shoebox from a group called Samaritan’s Purse. Seems silly really. I mean, what difference could someone in America make by filling a shoebox with toys and mailing it to some random kid who might be gang raped and butchered before they get to open it? Well, this woman opened that shoebox, and inside she found hope. Someone had put a gospel tract inside the shoebox along with the requisite toys, and reading about Jesus, she found hope. Today she works full-time for Samaritan’s Purse, sending thousands of shoeboxes to kids all over the planet. The irony is that whoever put that shoebox together probably has no idea what a difference they made!
But this isn’t about starfish or shoeboxes, this is about you. This is about your life. You see, God didn’t give the responsibility of changing the world to me alone. He gave it to everyone who calls themselves a follower of Jesus. He wants us all to be committed. He wants an army of His children on the beach throwing back starfish together. Too many of us are strolling along with our hands in our pockets admiring the view when we should be actively engaged in creating a better world. He’s given you everything you need to be the difference, to stand firm, to be the thin red line of hope. What are you waiting for?
Ways to create change:
1) Draw near to God (We are called to BE the difference, not just MAKE a difference.)
a. Memorize one verse each week.
b. Read your Bible through in a year.
c. Fast for a day.
d. Take notes during church and talk about it over lunch with someone.
e. Journal (Blog about God to God. And keep it private!
2) Volunteer (Churches, shelters, etc, always need help.)
3) Make your major matter (Know how your career makes a difference.)
4) Tithe (Give 10%, save 10%, live on the rest. It’s God’s plan, but you can hear it from pretty much any financial advisor regardless of their religious leanings.)
5) Write a letter (… to the local paper, your congressman, interest groups, etc.)
6) Vote (Let your voice be heard!)
7) Educate your children (Give them a voice worth listening to!)
8) Shop at socially aware businesses (i.e., Tom’s Shoes.)
9) Recycle (Duh.)
10) Pray (I mean REALLY pray, not just once-in-a-while-if-I-remember pray.)
11) Clean out your clutter (See how much you can donate to Salvation Army or Good Will.)
12) Give generously to charity (She needs it.)
13) Share Jesus with someone (Not only is it expected, it is also the most loving thing you can do for someone.)
14) Buy eco-friendly. (Yes, it will probably cost more, but so what?)
15) Go on a mission trip. (LIFE is a mission trip, but we don’t think of it that way often enough.)
16) Give random street people gift certificates to McDonald’s (They can’t spend it on alcohol or drugs that way!)
17) Go to a protest. (Or protest a protest…)
18) Conserve resources (What’s YOUR carbon footprint?)
19) Plant a tree. (Earth Day 2009 is on April 22.)
20) Bring someone with you into any of the above mentioned activities. (2 Timothy 2:2)
