Making A difference
Five Things You Can Do
To Make Your Life Count
Mission Viejo, March
28,2008: Most of us are looking for a sense of
purpose to how we live our lives.
We need significance.
Without it, we tend to drift from one thing to another as each thing we
try fails to satisfy that need.
Something I discovered a few years ago was that what I thought about
achieving significance was wrong.
It isn’t about searching for our own personal happiness, it is
more about finding a purpose in life.
I thought before that it meant being a successful entrepreneur, creating
jobs, and making lots of money.
Don’t misunderstand, there is nothing wrong with money when you
keep it in proper perspective and use it wisely. But I found that if I really wanted to
make a difference with my life I needed a different currency. This is the currency of love. Col. 3:14 in the Bible tells us that
love is more important than anything else, and Eccl. 4:9 tells us that two
people working together can accomplish more than twice as much as one. There
are 5 things you can do to make a difference with your life without fail. First, by offering physical assistance to those who
need it. You can do this by
reaching out to the homeless and the poor.
If you have money, use it to meet their basic needs for food, shelter,
and clothing. One of the things you
can do is go to ministries like Angel Food Ministries. Or you could simply help someone you
know that needs physical assistance getting around. Make this a habit, and you will be
surprised at the rewards. Second, offer emotional support to those who need
it. There are likely people in your
life that are down on their luck and are hurting for one reason or
another. They might have just
experienced a broken relationship or have suffered emotional abuse from others
that has left scars. Listen to them
express their pain and empathize.
In Gal. 6:2 it says, “Stoop down and reach out to those who are
oppressed. Share their burdens” (MSG) We also may be in need at some time for
emotional support, it is inevitable.
If we are there for others when they need us, it is more likely there
will be someone there when we are in need. Third, offer loving hospitality to others. Having an attitude of hospitality is
something that benefits everyone.
When people feel welcomed and valued they are much more likely to be
friendly and accept us. In Heb.
13:2 it says, “Don't forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some
who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!” (NLT)
You never know what kind of reward you will receive for your hospitality, but
most of all you will have the opportunity to impact someone’s life. Fourth, offer encouragement generously. In today’s world we are all faced
with the harsh realities everyday of our lives. We all need encouragement. We often tend to say things to other
people that bring them down. It is
easy to find something that people are doing wrong and criticize them for
it. Instead, catch them doing something
right and let them know about it. Fifth, offer others the meaning and purpose for
life. Everyone is seeking
significance. Do what you can to
help others find it. Find your own
purpose in life. In Mark 8:35 it
says, “If you insist on saving your life, you will lose it. Only those
who throw away their lives for my sake and for the sake of the Good News will
ever know what it means to really live.” To find real significance in life, to
live a life of purpose, you need to have love. If you do what you do out of sincere
love for others, not to serve yourself, you will make a difference not only in
the lives of others, but in your own. Share the Gospel with others so that they may know the peace that goes beyond all understanding and gives them the strength to endure anything this world can dish out. With this eternal perspective, this life is only the beginning to an eternal purpose. |
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