How to Make a Difference
We
influence others by our actions. People would rather see a sermon than hear
one. Begin to make a difference in the lives of others by asking yourself --
- Do I tell
others what to believe or live so that others want to believe?
“Little children, let us not love
in word or speech but in deed and in truth.” (1 John 3:18)
- Am I
sincere?
- Do I have a
gentle spirit?
People who
are unfamiliar with God’s Word do not know what He has to say about the
issues of the day, i.e. the value of human life, the role of male and
female, the value of Biblical marriage and family. If we are to reach them
with God’s worldview, we will need to imitate the respectful and patient
style of Jesus.
- Am I
courteous and sensitive to the need of others? When someone opposes the
Biblical perspectives on life, it may be because of something that has
happened in their past. We must welcome those whose ideas oppose God’s. In
time, we may be able to peel back the veneer of anger, bitterness or denial
in order to expose an empty and hurting soul. Then, we can share the
promises of Jesus.
- Do my
actions mirror the Truth of Jesus Christ? “Let
the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who
serves.” (Luke 22:26)
- Do I mind
my manners? Humans differ from animals in
many ways, one of them being the way we treat others. Followers of Jesus
influence others whenever they practice good etiquette.
- Do I do all
the talking? Most people are not seeking
advice, but a listening ear. We need to listen and watch. Only 7% of a
person’s message is verbal. 93% of a person’s message is expressed through
body language which may be conveying anxiety, doubt, fear, or insecurity.
- Am I
sensitive to stages of maturity?
While one person may
require the Law of God because he or she has not acknowledged their sin,
another may be desperate for the healing forgiveness of the Gospel.
- Do I
apologize for using God’s Word? Never! It is my greatest
weapon in the spiritual battle. Martin Luther said, “The Word seems to be a
trifling matter. But it proved to be a thunderbolt so powerful that its
impact turned the whole Roman Empire with its wisdom, might, and sanctity
into a pile of rubbish . . . Christ the Hero beat everything . . . through
the marvelous power of His Word!”
- Do I lack
“sophistication” or do I fear being perceived as “unenlightened?”
It
is not the education of universities that provide a lamp for my path, but
God’s Word. “God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise.”
(1 Corinthians 1:27)
- Do I feel
ordinary and unable to make a difference? “When they saw the courage of
Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they
were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.”
(Acts 4:13)
- Am I
speechless?
Moses
told God that he was not eloquent, but slow of speech. He was fearful that
no one would listen to him. But God answered, “Who gave man his mouth . . .
Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.” (Exodus
4:11)
- Do my words and
actions reflect God’s love? My
tone and manner can make or break the message. What did Jesus say? What
did He do? God wants me to live Jesus-style and to come to Him in prayer
for every need and in every situation.
- Am I positive
and hopeful?
It’s true that the light of God’s Word usually makes the darkness of lies
and deceit darker. But I can offer people a way out of the doom and gloom
with the promises of Jesus. He is the real and present hope! (Lamentations
3:32; Daniel 9:9; Romans 8:1-2; Colossians 1:13)
- Am I
willing to take a risk?
The fear of rejection is
powerful, but confidence to do right comes from God. He has “not given us
the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” (2
Timothy 1:7)
- Do I want to see
results? God only
calls us to faithfulness. He will take care of the results. God assured
his prophet Habakkuk, “. . . I am going to do something in your days that
you would not believe, even if you were told.” (Habakkuk 1:5)
- How does
God want me to influence others?
“The Lord’s servant must
not quarrel; instead he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not
resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that
God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and
that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil,
who has taken them captive to do his will.” (2 Timothy 2:24-26)
Will
my obituary tell people how great I was ...
or will I leave people whose
lives were touched by what I said and did?
Troubled & Perplexed by
“HOT BUTTON ISSUES”?
God
doesn’t want us to stay “safe” inside our house
or mingle only with those people who
always agree with us. Instead, He encourages us to take our faith into the
world and use it to make a difference. This requires being equipped to
logically discuss many “hot-button” issues of the day.
Do you want to defend Biblical marriage?
Gregory Koukl, president of Stand to Reason, offers you some excellent responses
to those who advocate same-sex marriage. He also gives logical reasons for the
institution of marriage and why it benefits children and society.
Stand to Reason -
Read
his article
Do
you want to speak up for the
sanctity of human life but don’t know how to begin?
Lutherans For
Life will help you better
understand the magnificence of Psalm 139:13-16 – “You knit me together in my
mother’s womb,” and Isaiah 46:4 – “Even to your old age and gray hairs I am He,
I am He who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will
sustain you and I will rescue you.”
Do you want to better explain Biblical creation
as opposed to the theory
of evolution? CLICK on one of the following:
Answers In
Genesis , the
Institute for Creation
Research or
Creation
Instruction Association
Do you want to teach sexual purity as opposed to “safe sex”?
Lutherans For
Life and Word of Hope (1-888-217-8679) stand
ready to help you! (Don’t forget to check out other resources listed on this
web site.
Do you want to welcome a woman with abortion in her past?
The love
of Jesus enables you to “bind up the brokenhearted, proclaim freedom for the
captives and release the prisoners from darkness” (Isaiah 61:1) Word of Hope
(1-888-217-8679) will provide you with resources for caring ministry or contact Lutherans
for Life
This Study is copyrighted June 2004 by Linda D. Bartlett. It may be reproduced
in its entirety for private or group study with acknowledgement given to Linda
as author.
