I spoke last week of making a
difference in someone's life, of helping someone to put them on the
right path for their lives. It requires a bit of effort on your
side, it requires time, but it is more than worth it. You have
helped someone to make something with their lives, instead of
leaving them to wallow in the unfairness of life, which never gave
them an opportunity. The effect you can make is profound.
Now as I said last week, except for
making a big difference in someone's life, you can also be the Body
of Christ in various other practical ways. I attended Hillsong's
women's conference in April and it was absolutely amazing. The main
theme they talked about was exactly this, to make a difference
right where you are. Don't worry that you are not a missionary for
Christ somewhere, you can make a big difference right where you
are. I am going to name a couple of practical examples of how you
can reach out, but I promise you that if you make yourself
available to God, the opportunities will come knocking on your
door!
- The next time you are in a queue in your supermarket and you
see someone behind you that you can truly see don't have the money
to even pay for what they have in their hands, offer to pay for
them and let them know that Jesus loves them.
- Buy at least one blanket each winter for someone that the Lord
points out to you.
- Smile at the cashier even though you had to wait quite a while
to be helped. Show them that God is in your heart.
- Tell people that Jesus loves them. Be open to the leading of
the Holy Spirit.
- Ask your friends for what you can pray for them and then do it.
There is a lot of power in prayer.
- Stop yourself before you gossip about someone, that is the
quickest way of turning someone away from the Lord, the only
life-giving Force.
- Look something up on the internet for someone who doesn't have
access to Internet.
- Go and welcome your neighbor that just moved in and try and
help him/her to settle into some of the activities in the area you
might think they'd be interested in.
Etcetera etcetera, the list is
endless, and these are things we can all do, without much effort.
We can all reach out and be the moving, living Body of Christ. We
can represent Him here on earth. And I know it is difficult, I lost
my cool the other day with the cashier, because I waited very long
in the queue and my two boys were becoming increasingly difficult,
but that is not what the Lord wants from us. He wants us to
represent Him. Pray that the Lord would give you the strength to do
it, because without the Holy Spirit's help we won't be able to do
it.
Lord help us to be Your Body. Help
us to represent You the way we should. Give us the strength and
Your love in our hearts for other people. In Jesus Name. Amen