I joined this church for one reason and one reason only: because they didn’t mind getting their hands dirty. In other words, they didn’t play church. As I was looking at Ginghamsburg, I was amazed at everything they did to help make the world a better place. The church family went above and beyond when it came to doing things differently and making an impact on the world around them.
Three years later, I am still amazed at how our church family is out there drastically changing the world. The annual change-the-world weekend is this weekend, and we have over fifteen projects throughout the Miami Valley that are doing some pretty awesome stuff. And while all that is great, I still find myself wrestling with one big question: Why?
Why do I as a Christian have to change the world?
The only answer that I can come up with is that I have to change the world because my relationship with God has changed my world. It is good to be nice and to do the nice thing, but the reality is that anyone can do that. I know tons of nice people who don’t have a relationship with Jesus Christ. As a Christ-follower, my call to change the world is born from my faith. It is born from the idea that God pours His love out on me unconditionally, and if I want to call myself a follower of Jesus then I have to do the same thing.
I’ve come to the conclusion that we don’t do things like change-the-world weekend because we want people to know how nice Christians are; rather, I have to do things like change-the-world weekend because God’s love for me has changed me.
I’m so different because of Jesus that I have to show the world. Changing the world is really an offering of how different I am because of God (or how different I want to be, because it is always a work in progress).
I also know that not everyone is there yet, and I want you to know that is okay too. It is perfectly acceptable to show up, do the work, and have it not be an offering to God. I’ve learned that even in our confusion, God will find a way to use us.
Changing the world is really a commitment to deciding to show someone enough love that it might cause him or her to think differently. We do this not because we have to, but because God has done it for us.
Self Challenge
Where are you currently serving other people?
How can you get more involved in making a difference in the world?
Is your faith changing your daily activity? How would your life be different if it was?