By Chris WittsSunday 9 Jul 2023Morning Devotions with Chris WittsFaithReading Time: 1 minute
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Transcript:
Stephen Greet was a French born Quaker who died in the US in 1855. He would be unknown to the world today except for a short prayer he wrote, which still lives on – “I shall pass through this world but once and any good that I can do or any kindness that I can show to any human being, let me do it now and do not delay it for I shall not pass this way again.”
And maybe that’s why Mother Teresa said, if you can’t feed 100 people feed one. I have come to love the darkness. Mother Teresa said I’m a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world. Interesting, because you might be the only Christian that your friends know. And God can use you to make an impact on others.
And he specialises in doing things like that. Actually, let’s be open and obedient to his leading. A young man used to have regular arguments with God. Oh, God. He’d say you call yourself the creator of this world you better know what a mess you’ve made in creating it this way. Poverty, hunger, inequalities, injustices of all kinds, ethnic conflicts and riots. God didn’t answer him for quite some time. And so the young man, he didn’t stop complaining.
He was at his wits end, and he asked God rather impatiently. Listen. God, are you deaf? Don’t you hear my queries? Why don’t you do something about making this world a better place? But this time around, God did answer – “my son, I agree with all that you’ve said about the world. But remember, I created you with the power to make a difference. Stop complaining and start working because you can make a difference.” And I like that story.
Have you ever been discouraged because you thought your efforts didn’t make much difference into the overall scheme of things? Many people believe they don’t have what it takes to make a difference in the world. And they kind of think that only people like Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein, Bill Gates and people like that are capable of making a difference. The truth is that every one of us is put into this world to contribute and make a difference in our own unique way.
It just needs to be something that you do with the intention of doing good. Do you remember the old Chinese proverb that says it’s better to light a candle than curse the darkness? And sometimes we think that we’ve done our part simply by cursing the dark, and yet rarely does cursing the darkness do anyone any good. It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness. Or, in other words, it’s better to provide a solution than simply talk about the problem.
Why don’t we try to brighten up the lives of others? We should be able to put a smile on the faces of those people who are hurting. How often do you look for opportunities to lift the lives of those who are down and broken? No matter what your own circumstances are, you can make a difference in other people’s lives. The world actually depends on this. You can make a difference in the lives of other people by being friendly to them, showing that you do care for them. It was the author Max Lucado, who said:
“Today I will make a difference. I will begin by controlling my thoughts. A person is the product of his thought. I want to be happy and hopeful. I refuse to be victimised by my circumstances. I will not let petty inconveniences such as traffic lights, long lines and traffic jams be my masters. I will avoid negative thinking and gossip. I want optimism to be my companion. I will make a difference. I will be grateful for the 24 hours that are before me. Time is a precious commodity and I’ll face this day with the joy of a child and the courage of a giant. And I will drink each minute as though it was my last. And when tomorrow comes, today will be gone forever. While it’s here, I will use it for loving and giving and I won’t let past failures haunt me. And even though my life is scarred with mistakes, I refuse to rummage through my trash heap of failures. I will admit them. I’ll correct them. I’ll press on. It’s OK to stumble. I’ll get on, I will rise again. I will spend time with those I love.”
They’re the words of Max Lucado.
Let’s Pray
Heavenly Father today, I pray you will show us the way to make a difference in someone’s life. Your plans are better than my own. And you know that person who needs encouragement and a little help along the way. Guide me towards them today I pray, Amen.