Making a Difference For God

Every year we celebrate "Make a Difference Day". This is a time when we can think about doing something for someone else, perhaps in a big way. Over eighty percent of Americans call themselves Christians, yet how many make a difference for God in their daily lives? It is not enough to go to church, it is the lifestyle we live throughout the week that makes a difference in our lives as well as others.

It is easy to slip into the trap of doing something like church and not letting it permeate into our being. Your physical presence in a place isn't what counts, it is what you absorb while you are there that matters. Anyone can sit in a pew for an hour or more, but what are you doing about applying what you learn about God and what He wants to do in your life? Jesus said, "If you love me you will keep my commandments." So if we follow God's ways we love God, if we don't we are not what we claim to be. Very simple!

Sitting in a church isn't going to make a difference in our world. It is what you do with what you learn there that will impact our society one way or the other. People are watching you, how you live your life, what and how you say it, etc. What do you portray about what you believe through these communicators?

Everyday we should be making a difference for God in where we go, how we act and what we say. If we are turning our witness off-and-on according to where we are, then we are hypocrites. The world calls this situation ethics, using one set of criteria for one area and using others for different venues of our lives. Either we are Christians or we are not, there are no gray areas with God. Using God's standards to measure our spirituality will give a true answer.

There is a saying going around, "If you were put on trial for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?" If you really want to make a difference for God, you have to be committed to Him, and want to see the needs that are around you each day. Everywhere Jesus went He made a difference for God because He cared about others. He was always seeking to do the will of the Father. This is our mandate as well.

What are you doing to make a difference for God? Are you encouraging those around you? Do you care about the suffering that is happening right where you live and shop and do all the other things that comprise your life? Does human need stir you to action? Will there be someone to care about you if you should ever need it? How have you treated those around you in your family and neighborhood? Are people glad they know you?

Each of us has the ability to make a difference around us. Even a homebound person can call someone and encourage and pray with them when needed. Are you making a difference for God in your sphere of influence? If everyone made a difference wherever they went, think what a different world this would be. But it has to start with you and I caring about what is happening around us and using God's power and wisdom to make a difference for Him each day that we live. How will you make a difference for God?