How to Know You're Making a Difference

I just got onto facebook about a month ago.  No, I did not know what I was getting myself into.  Yes, it is addictive. And now I am trying to do the facebook thing in moderation...whatever that means. No, I really am.

I like facebook. I like knowing what interests people. I like the community that is there. I like the encouraging words people write. And even though some may feel like they see more pictures of other people's kids than they ever even took of their own, I even like the pictures. I like it when people post Scripture, hilarious video clips, interesting facts, and I'm even one who likes to take those quizzes, like the "What TV Mom Are You?" (I definitely question the accuracy though...Claire Huxtable runs circles around me as a mom).

I wonder if frequently using the word "like" is a sign of too much facebook?  Oh well, I'm just glad I have friends like you to share with who are too nice to comment.

But something has struck me in this whole facebook addiction adventure: we all want to make a difference in the lives of others. Isn't that true? We all want to have a voice. We all have something to say and we don't just want to be heard, we want our words to affect others. We want to make a difference.

Now I know not everything on facebook is meant to change people's lives. Sometimes it's just a way to share something funny or cute pics of the grandkids. But I really believe that behind many of the inspirational quotes and "food for thought" kind of things, there is a very real desire within us to impact one another. We want what we share to somehow either help, inform, encourage, inspire, or challenge people so that their lives are affected, even in some small way, for the better.

I've even felt this in my recent attempts at starting a blog. I do desire to encourage others, as the title implies, but how does that really happen? How do we really impact people's lives? Do we really know? And if we're going to make a positive difference, don't we want it be something that will matter for eternity, not just this life?

You know what kind of hit me, we don't really know how to truly make a difference, nor do we have the
power within ourselves to do so. I could write a blog, you could write a book, he could write songs, she could create art, we could all do a thousand different things to try to impact those around us, but in reality, these things could have little or no lasting effect in this life or eternity.

At the same time, we could do the smallest act, some "little" thing as an act of obedience to God, and find out later that God used it in ways we never could have dreamed. Who would have thought that the widow who gave her two small coins would be the most effective fund raiser in the history of the church! Whenever people are asked to give toward important needs of the church, it's her story they share. Still to this very day, that lady is impacting the world for good!

We don't know what steps of faith and acts of obedience will be the "little things" that God wants to use in big ways. But there is one way we can be sure that we don't miss those opportunities when they come:

by walking closely with God.

If we are constantly walking by faith, trusting Him and obeying Him and listening to the Holy Spirit as He leads us, we won't miss these opportunities to impact those around us. This is the only way that I know of where we can be certain that our lives will make a positive impact for both now and eternity.

As long as we are doing what God asks us to do, it is the most important thing we could do in that moment.

If we want to make a difference in the world, if we want to know that everything we do has significance, then we must walk closely to the One who knows what matters most. If He asks you to do something, then THAT is the most significant thing you could be doing. God never gets priorities out of order. He always has the highest priorities in mind. He knows what He is doing, how He is working out His glorious plans. And whatever threads we have in that enormous tapestry that He is weaving together, those are the most significant things we could ever do in this life.

So, today, whatever God asks you to do, do it. And know that whether or not we ever get to see how God uses it, we can have the quiet confidence of knowing that if our sovereign, all-knowing, only wise God has asked us to do it, then nothing could be more important.

-Rachel :-)