IMPACT

Impact. The word means so much. The point where the “rubber meets the road”.  In personal terms, I try to  simplify it to be simply, leaving someone or someplace different.  Now, this can be either positive or negative but not matter what we leave an impact.  Each day we impact the world around us; we create waste, drive cars, interact with people.  The guy that cut me off on the freeway, the lady in line paying for her groceries in pocket change, the beggar on the street.  The friend that comes to me for advice on relationships, my spouse, my children. EVERY DAY, I leave a footprint on life, the choice is up to me to make that impact positive or negative. The larger the impact, the longer that impact leaves the impression. As I become cognizant of the idea of impacting the life around me, I must realize that God gives me opportunities every day to leave an impact for His purposes, for His kingdom, where ever I go.  A divine opportunity.  A moment.  Let me say that again, EVERY DAY God gives us opportunities to leave an impact for His kingdom.

While Jesus was doing his ministry here on Earth everywhere he went he left an impact.  Just think about some of the miracles we read about in the bible.  The healing of the blind, making the lame walk, raising the dead to life. We know that Jesus made a difference everywhere he went, but one story comes to mind as I think about making an impact.  Its a story about some friends who made an impact for someone else by seizing their divine moment.  Mark chapter 2 begins with a story of Jesus teaching in a crowded house; not just a crowded house, but an overflowing house. Overflowing into the streets and the people just – kept – coming. Four friends heard Jesus was teaching and went to bring their crippled friend to Him to be healed.  They knew that if they could just get to Jesus, the friend could be healed.  They believed with all their might, so much so, that they were willing to do anything to get their friend to Jesus.  When they got to the house there was no way in, it was packed. So, like any respectable, desperate friend would they went to the roof.  Now to me, this is funny, I’m not sure i would have thought to myself, “This place is full, so lets climb up and cut a hole in this dudes house.”  But they did. They lowered their friend down and the bible says that “Jesus recognized the faith of these men.”  The friends, their faith, healed this man.  Am I living a life of faith that would cause my friend to be healed?  The bible says, “The prayers of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”

I want that.  I want to be effective.  Because of my faith, I want to make an IMPACT for the good of those around me.  How about you? Will you seize your divine moment?  In order to do so, we must realize that it starts with awareness.  We have to be aware of the opportunity, we must stop focusing on ourselves and start focusing on those around us.  A paradigm shift.  Its not about you.

The Christian life, in its simplest form, can be summed up that i am called to Love God and to love others.  If Im doing these things, the other things are going to fall into place.  Its my prayer that I, along with all believers, embrace our divine moment to make an impact for the kingdom.

Much love.

Randy