Making a Difference

Have you ever wondered if you could make a difference? I’m sure you have. The truth is we make a difference every day, whether it’s in how we treat a customer, talk to a waiter, or address our children or spouse. Most of us forget that because we are focused so much on the “big” things. At least I know I am. Sometimes I think that if I can’t do the big things, like share the gospel, save a marriage, or build a better church that I can’t make a difference. But that’s not true. Little things do matter and they matter more than we think.

I was reminded of that this week as we were privileged to share dinner with some friends in the Arizona sunshine. They are our former neighbors. They only lived in our neighborhood for about four years before they moved to Arizona, but while they were our neighbors God saw fit, in His providence to use the little things we did as neighbors to lead them to Christ. Honestly I don’t remember inviting them to church or even sharing the Gospel with them. All I remember is trying to be a good neighbor. He came to church one Sunday after receiving a flyer in the mail. I went to visit him, not so much as a pastor, but just to thank him for coming. I also invited him to our Friday morning men’s Bible study. He was eventually saved but his wife didn’t really want to have much to do with church or even Jesus Christ, so he asked me to pray for them. I did, but again that didn’t seem like much. However in the course of time she had a physical situation that rocked her world. I remember him telling me how hard that was for them both, so I decided to go and visit and pray for them again. That really didn’t seem like much either, but eventually God used that situation in their lives to bring her to Himself and she was saved too!

Now I would like to think that it was something “big” that Carol and I said or did that caused them both to come to Christ, but the truth is we were just willing to do the “small” stuff that anyone can do. Now they are not only Christians and serving in their church, but hosting a Bible study for their neighbors so that maybe God can use them to impact their world with the “small” stuff that God asks all of us to do every day.