Can One Person Make A Difference?
Compassion International does an amazing job in various parts of the world helping the helpless. Samaritans Purse does great work as well. The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association has a team of Rapid Response volunteers that go into areas that are ravaged by earthquakes and other natural disasters. Joyce Meyers Ministries has a center that helps women escape from the sex trafficking world in Cambodia. There are many amazing organization that do incredible work but my question today is, can one person make a difference? I mean, where does that leave you and me in this grand equation? Are we to simply leave it all up to them and go our merry way? Are we to just send them our money and that absolves us of having to do anything else? Or are we to join up with these vast organizations? If so, where do we begin? Does that then mean that we are to leave our families and jobs? What is our call? What is your call and what is my call – mandate – mission from Jesus Christ today? What exactly are we to do?
I would suggest that if you have a desire to help and make a difference, you should do exactly that. Yes, money is needed but so are you! I heard it once said that, “Many hands make for light work.” So if you have the opportunity to help one of the many ministries out there, you should choose one and get involved as best as you can and according to the call of Christ on your life.
But that alone doesn’t answer the question I asked, does it? Can One Person Make A Difference???
YES – is the answer. One person can make more of a difference than most will ever realize. There are many stories of heroic figures throughout history that I’m sure you have heard as well, so I won’t bore you with them now. There is a person though that you probably haven’t heard of that makes a difference everyday. His name is Bob or “Brother Bob”, as many would call him.
Brother Bob has a tough story of hard living and bad choices of his own but we aren’t going to talk about them because they are not who he is today. The important part is that at the age of 38, he gave his life to Christ and has been serving Him ever since – over 30 years. He began in the ministry by taking his guitar and Bible to homeless shelters and nursing homes and playing some gospel music and sharing a message that God put on his heart. He then expanded that ministry to several prisons.
He makes a difference by serving those who cannot pay him and those whom many in this world have forgotten or would like to forget. He is loved by all who know him. The difference he makes maybe isn’t seen in material wealth or in the grand arenas of life but, trust me when I tell you that what he is building is real and makes difference for eternity (1 Corinthians 3:12-13).
So, how does this relate to you? How are your neighbors doing? Do you even know their names? Do you know someone who is hurting and needs help? Maybe you can begin there…. What do you think? In some cases, the need may be greater than you can handle, so is there someone you may call? It could also be that God is using this message to prepare your heart for the next time the church calls for volunteers for the nursery or for _____________(fill in the blank). The needs out there in this world are great. Find one that you can tackle and just jump in and do it.
I told a guy the other day, “You can’t fail at this.”
He looked at me like I had lost my mind and then said, “Of course not, this is too important…”
But he had missed my point, I went on to explain,”The beauty of this type of giving is that there are no rules or agenda. Give from your heart, I mean, really care and you can’t mess it up, people will be helped – you will make a difference and you have no idea where that will bear fruit in the future.”
As we study the life of Christ, we see that He helped as He traveled. Wherever He went, He helped the people who were in need. Using Him as our example, wherever we go, we should help people in need as well. Now Jesus didn’t just throw some coins in a cup (I am not saying there is anything wrong with doing this), He sought to make a tangible lasting difference. This takes effort and commitment, AKA, investment. I would challenge you today to find a cause in your local area you can invest in personally. The R.O.I. (return on investment) to you will be more than you can take in. The Good Samaritan did his part in Luke 15 and he has been talked about for almost 2000 years. What will they be saying about you if you will just decide to truly love your neighbor as yourself?
What are you waiting for? Maybe today, you pick one of these major ministries and see if what they are doing speaks to you. If they do, then get involved, even in your own little way or as a volunteer at a local event they are having. Next, check with your local church and see what their needs are. Maybe your gift that you have been keeping to yourself is exactly what they need to fill a hole in the ministry and teaching of the church. Then, I want you to become “MAKE-A-DIFFERENCE MINDED!” You do this by simply being on the lookout for someone you can help and can make a difference for today.
Yes, you can make a difference, your life matters. God calls you His “Masterpiece”. He created us to do exactly this. So, what are you waiting for? On your “To-Do List”, add a line item “MAKE A DIFFERENCE TODAY!” and be on the look out for the opportunity because God will open the door for the person whose heart is open to help. Be that person today!
Praise Him!
Cliff
2 Timothy 4:2,5
Author:
