By Chris WittsThursday 23 Aug 2018Morning Devotions with Chris WittsFaithReading Time: 4 minutes
Some people say, I can never make a difference in my world—who am I? I have nothing special to offer. That is not correct, for anything significant that has happened in history always started with one person, and a determination—you don’t have to be famous or wealthy to make a difference.
I have heard of ordinary people like you and me who give up 3 to 6 months to go overseas and help a project as a volunteer, and they come back changed, with a new outlook on life. Something special happened.
It was John F Kennedy who said, “One person can make a difference, and everyone should try.”
Ralph Marston wrote in The Daily Motivator website:
When things go wrong, don’t despair. You can make a difference, so get busy and do it.
Don’t be afraid to acknowledge and accept what has already happened. Because you can take what is, whatever it may be, and use it to make a positive difference.
There’s no need to worry about whether or not you’re lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time. It is always the right place and the right time for you to make a difference.
Making a difference demands much of you in the way of time, effort, skill and commitment. Fortunately, you’re entirely capable of giving all that and more in the service of making a meaningful difference.
Everything that happens is an opportunity for you to make a difference. Rather than wasting your energy on judgement and remorse, put that energy into making a difference.
Every one of your abilities gives you the ability to make a difference. Hold true to your vision of the best that life can be, and make a difference to make it so.
(Copyright ©2012 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. You can read other posts in The Daily Motivator)
For many years I was a member of Rotary International, a community service organisation committed to making a difference in our world, and that was very worthwhile. I saw for myself what individuals can do to make the world a better place.
The Bible makes it clear that we can make a difference, because this is his world, and he created us for a reason. Paul explains it well in Ephesians 2:10: “God planned for us to do good things and to live as he has always wanted us to live. That’s why He sent Christ to make us what we are”. The amazing thing is that when you help and serve others, you are in fact serving God.
You Can Have an Impact
Too often I have heard someone say, I’m a nobody. What impact will I ever make? This is unfortunate, because we can all do something unique, especially when God is at the centre of our lives. Through him, we can impact others, in a significant way. We wrongly think we have to wait for some big important event to make a difference—not so. Anne Frank in her book The Diary of a Young Girl wrote these words: “How wonderful it is that no one need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world”.
I read about a group of nuns who were given a holiday trip through the Rocky Mountains where they had never been before. They were filled with awe as they marvelled at the wonder of the majestic mountains. But every time they stopped to enjoy the view, one particular nun would slip away by herself.
So one day the other nuns decided they would follow her to see what she was up to. They watched her as she walked into the gully. She bent down and reached under a big rock, and then turned the rock upside down. She brushed her hands and turned around to walk back up the trail. When she looked up, the entire order of nuns was watching her.
“Margaret, what are you doing?” they asked. “I’m turning over a rock,” she replied. “Why?” they asked. “Do you do that every time?” She answered, “Yes.” “Why do you do that?” She replied: “Because I will never pass this way again, and it’s my intent to have made a difference while I was here. So I turn some rocks over so that this place is different because I passed here.”
A simple story perhaps, but it helps me see the impact of doing something, even a simple act of kindness, is worthwhile.
(Read You Can Make a Difference – Part 2)