We all have an opportunity to make an impact every day. As Christians we are all called to make an impact on the world around us. We are called to impact the people we work with, play with, fellowship with, serve.... The evangelistic outreaches and mission trips through the church are special opportunities to engage with God and make an impact in places and situations that are outside our normal every day experience. Whether working at Camp Daniel, going to Kenya for a couple of weeks or supporting the many brothers and sisters throughout the world we can use these opportunities to impact the world for Christ but how do we make an impact every day? If we pay attention God gives us opportunities to engage with him and make an impact all the time. The Bible exhorts us to be prepared to do the good works God has prepared for us. This tells me that God has a plan and we are all part of the plan. The choice is ours. Will we step up and fulfill our part in the plan or will we let someone else take our part in the plan?
I also think there are many times when we act on faith without realizing the impact we are having. Think of a beautiful tapestry. The tapestry is made of many threads. Some of the threads are long and others are short. Some are brightly colored and others are dark. Now imagine the threads are our lives. We can only see the threads that are closest to us. We can’t see the beginning of the tapestry or the end. We can’t see the pattern or how we fit into the pattern. If we are blessed we can sometimes glimpse how our lives interact with the lives of those around us but we never see the whole picture.
I’m sure we all have heard stories of Christians who acted on their faith and never saw the results of their part in the plan and years later their action changed the world. The Gideons International is a great example. The Gideons were founded by Samuel Hill and John Nicholson after a chance encounter at a Wisconsin hotel in 1899. Today the Gideons are active in 190 countries and you will find a Gideons Bible in almost every hotel on the planet. These two men acted in faith to fulfill their part in His plan. I don’t know but I doubt either of them dreamed that from their initial meeting in 1899 the Gideons International would be born. Whether you know it or not we have had an impact around the world as well. Through our church China, Turkey, Africa and many other countries have been impacted. Pastors, Music Pastors, Missionaries and church leaders of all types have been developed, nurtured and supported through our church. Members of our church have taken a love of Christ and the joy of having a relationship with the living God to Japan, Algeria, Columbia, Ecuador and Paraguay. We are making an impact here in our own little corner of the world and around the world.
One of the people from our church who is making an impact is teaching in Paraguay right now. If you would like to keep up on what Kristen is up to her blog is http://kbsadventuresabroad.blogspot.com/.
