Can I CHANGE the World?

Can I change the world? If it were possible then where would I start? How many people must I impact with the love of Jesus to make a difference?

Mother Teresa is quoted as saying,

“Never worry about the numbers. Help one person at a time and always start with the person nearest you.”

What if your goal for 2017 was not to try and change the world, but to change the worlds of some.

In other words, we can choose to recognize that – You may not change the world, but you can change someone’s world.

Some may be many and some may be just a few. Some may be a neighborhood or a zip code.

Someone may be a neighbor, a family member, or a friend.

In your longing for the world to be a better place what you may discover is that the world is right outside your front door, to the left and right of our cubicle, or across the dinner table.

The world is in your phone’s contact list.

Can we really make a difference in this world by introducing just one person to the love of Jesus?

This question can be answered with a story I heard many years ago about a young girl throwing Starfish back into the ocean.

After a storm a beach was filled with thousands of Starfish that were now struggling to stay alive in the hot sun. A little girl was walking the beach picking up the Starfish one by one and throwing them back into the ocean. An older gentleman who also was walking the beach stopped to watch her as she continued in what looked like a never-ending, monumental task.

“You’ll never throw all those Starfish back into the ocean, you know.”

“I know,” replied the little girl.

“You won’t even throw most of them back in.”

“I know,” replied the little girl as she picked up another Starfish and threw it in the water.

“It’s just not possible for you to save them all.”

“I know,” she again replied.

“If you know you can’t save them all and you know you can’t throw most of them back in then do you think what you’re doing is really going to make a difference?”

The little girl looked up at the older gentlemen, picked up another Starfish and threw it in the water.

“I made a difference for that one.”

The world when I was a kid seemed so big. This little girl teaches me that the world is smaller than I think and that I can make a difference.

I can make a difference because Jesus makes me different. My life is not insignificant to Jesus and the world is not too big for Him.

I can’t change or fix people, yet I believe that Jesus is the One person who can radically change another person’s life.

Find your someone.

You may not change the world, but you can change someone’s world. And you just might discover that in the process you are changed.

“Can I change the world?” This question seems like an impossibility. Yet, there is another question that may seem impossible to you  – “Can I change?” 

With Jesus, I believe the answer is yes! And when Jesus changes your life he can use you to introduce change in the lives of others.

Do you believe this is possible? 2017 can be the year you choose to live our your faith. Commit to following Jesus and to making a difference in someone’s life and see what happens.

How can making a difference in someone’s life make a world of difference? Please subscribe and share your comments below.

Jovan preaches for the Littleton Church of Christ near Denver, Colorado. Visit here to listen to sermons preached at the Littleton Church.