Do you ever find yourself getting caught up in the worries of this world?  Feeling helpless to the spiritual and moral decline of the world we’re living in?  I do.  I worry about my children….  my grandchildren… (which I don’t even have yet!)… I worry about my lost loved ones and my fellow believers.  Satan knows his time is short and he is hard at work in our world today. 

But what can we do about it?

1. PRAY

First and foremost pray.  The Bible tells us, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”   (Philippians 4:6) Talk to God about your fears and concerns.  Ask Him to move.  Believe that He can.  Have faith that He will.

 

“For with God nothing shall be impossible.”  Luke 1:37

2. DO SOMETHING

“Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”  (James 2:17)

 

Be His hands and feet.  Follow His lead.  Do something.  There are lost souls all around us, let God use you to reach them.  If the thought of that overwhelms you, just know that it’s not uncommon to feel helpless or to feel like you could never do enough to make a difference. But, that’s not true.  One person can make a difference.  It reminds me of “The Starfish Story” by Loren Eisley:

 

“One day a man was walking along the beach when he noticed a boy picking something up and gently throwing it into the ocean. Approaching the boy, he asked, ‘What are you doing?’ The youth replied, ‘Throwing starfish back into the ocean. The surf is up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them back, they’ll die.’ ‘Son,’ the man said, ‘don’t you realize there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish? You can’t make a difference!’  After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish, and threw it back into the surf. Then, smiling at the man, he said… ‘I made a difference for that one.’”

 

Change is made one soul at a time. 

 

Remember the parable God told in Luke 15:3-7 about the shepherd who left the 99 to go after the one lost sheep?   Do it for the one.

3. BE THE EXAMPLE

Stand firm in your faith.  Stand up for what is right.  Reflect God in the day to day decisions of your life.  It starts with you.

Michael Jackson may not be the greatest example of the Christian life.  But I think sometimes God uses even the secular things of this world to speak to the hearts of His followers.  And for me, one of Michael Jackson’s songs did just that. It’s a song that was written and produced way back in the 1900’s!  1988 to be exact.  But the message is timeless. The chorus goes like this:

 

“I’m starting with the man in the mirror

I’m asking him to change his ways

And no message could’ve been any clearer

If you wanna make the world a better place

Take a look at yourself and then make a change”

 

What changes do you need to make?  Where are you tolerating sin in your own life?  What are your blind spots?  Be honest.  Because sometimes, if I’m really honest with myself, I realize that the “one”  I need to start with is me.

 

Pray this prayer with me:

Heavenly Father, Lord, refine me.  Draw my attention to the areas of my life that do not glorify You and strengthen me to change.  Lord, I know that all this world really needs is You.  And that the more people that find You, the better this world will be.  Use me Lord.  Draw my attention to the “one” and make me bold.  Speak through me.  Use me to lead them to You.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Teresa Breeding
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