Have you ever wondered if you make a difference? Perhaps you have questioned your purpose or even your existence. Maybe you have asked, “Do I matter?” If this is you or someone you know, the answer is “YES!” You are created in God’s image with intentionality and purpose. One person can make an enormous difference. What if Rosa Parks had not refused to give up her seat on that bus in Montgomery? Consider Jonas Salk who invented the polio vaccine. Or Steve Jobs, founder of Apple. Each of these people was an ordinary human being who made a tremendous difference. But what about you and me? Read on to reflect on your true potential . . . 

Ever tossed a pebble into a pond and watched the waves reach the bank? I bet you’ve seen a fish jump with the same result. Or your buddy does a cannonball in the pool and the waves reach the shallow end. This is what we call a “ripple effect.” One change action causes continual movement outward from its origin. One person + one decision = exponential change. Even the smallest act of kindness can have a lasting impact!

This is where you and I can pause and think about the importance of our lives. This past Sunday, the sermon centered on the “fruit of the Spirit” which the Apostle Paul gives in Galatians 5:22-23. Paul lists nine such fruit that the Holy Spirit produces within us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. In the message, we learned that they result from the sanctification process. As the Spirit works within us and as we follow in the steps of the Spirit, we become more and more like Jesus. We bear good fruit that lasts . . . like the ripple effect created from a small pebble in a big pond. 

Sadly, there can be a negative or hurtful ripple effect. Because we live in a fallen world, some people make poor choices and negatively impact others. But as followers of Jesus, when we “keep in step with the Spirit” (Gal. 5:25), we can overcome evil with good (Romans 12:21). Paul reminds us of this in his letter to the Ephesians: “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10) 

As I write this, it’s June 17, 2024 — my 57th birthday! I am thankful for the opportunity to be a small pebble in the “big pond” of life. Each day, God can use me (us) to make a difference. He can and will use each of us if we will simply look for ways God is already at work and join him there. It could be as simple as a smile, letting someone in front of us in traffic or taking a meal to one of our homebound members. One of my friends has a personal mission. When he is in a restaurant and sees a member of the military or a first responder, he will shake their hand, thank them for their service and then purchase their meal. This is just one way he has a ripple effect in the world. 

How can you make a positive impact in your family, workplace, school, neighborhood or at HRBC? I’d love to hear your stories! 

Jesus said, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last . . .” (John 15:16 a)