Tag Archives: Change World

1.9.15 You Are Equipped to Make This World a Better Place

Do you wonder whether your life is making a difference in the world around you? Do you ever ask yourself what your legacy will look like upon your death? These are natural questions and affirm that God ordained our desire to know our lives matter to others. In turn, God has wired each of us to impact our world in our own way.

Photo Courtesy @Shutterstock.com/Ollyy

Photo Courtesy @Shutterstock.com/Ollyy

I, too, ask these questions, especially toward the end of the year when I start thinking about the following year’s goals. I set nine goals for 2015, five achievement goals and four habit goals and am applying a new principle to make forward progress: what gets calendared gets done. I enter only the next step to accomplish each goal and repeat this process weekly. I’ve listed every goal on computer desktop sticky notes so I will remember to read them daily. I was VERY proud of myself for having my goals ready by January 1st—until I heard a sermon that forced me to re-evaluate my goals through a spiritual lens. Andy Stanley, pastor of Northpoint Community, asked a question that exposed how focused I was on myself. It’s a question I think all of us need to ask: What are we going to do to make the world a better place? I reviewed my goals and found two that would allow me to improve our world.

Of course, there’s nothing wrong with setting goals to lose weight or exercise more. Goals focused on improving our financial wellbeing are admirable as well. But when we create goals that focus on bettering the lives of others, we are on the right track to fulfill God’s special purpose for each of us. It is not as hard as you might think. We can make our world a better place by embracing four truths found in Exodus 35.

 

Truth #1- You have what it takes to make this world a better place 

“From what you have, take an offering for the Lord. Everyone who is willing is to bring to the Lord an offering of gold, silver and bronze”….Exodus 35:5

If we’re going to make the world a better place, we need to trust that we have enough to make a difference. God designed our personality just the way He wants it, so how we express ourselves is unique. We can give our time instead of pass the time. Many of us claim we’re too busy, but I bet many of us can identify time frittered away that we could reallocate to help others. We also have financial resources. When we’re doing something to honor God, He does not ask us to spend beyond our means.

 

Truth #2 – You have the power to make this world a better place

“Then Moses said to the Israelites, “See, the Lord has chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and He has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts.” Ex 35:31

God seals His Holy Spirit in us once we place our faith in Christ Jesus as our Lord and Savior. That means we have His power within us to do great things for Him. Yet how many of us are trying to achieve our goals through human effort? God invites us to avail ourselves to the work of the Holy Spirit in us to achieve our goals.

 

Truth #3 – You have the skills and knowledge to make this world a better place

“Then Moses said to the Israelites, “See, the Lord has chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and He has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts.” Ex 35:31

When God created us, He already knew what purpose He wanted us to accomplish for Him.  He equipped us with skills, abilities and knowledge. He’s not about to ask us to do something for Him and then not give us the skills and knowledge to do it!

 

Truth #4 – You have to be willing to make this world a better place 

“And everyone who was willing and whose heart moved him came and brought an offering to the Lord for the work on the Tent of Meeting, for all its service, and for the sacred garments.” Ex 35:21

I appreciate that God grants us free will. God gives us the freedom to serve Him, or not serve Him. The Israelite community chose to participate in the Tabernacle project. God did not strong-arm them into partnering with Him. Instead, God desires those who are willing. He wants His children’s hearts to stir within them to change our world for the better. Can you imagine what our world would look like if every believer was willing to make a difference and said, “I’m all in!” Wouldn’t it be powerful if all Christians felt a strong burden to change the world because their hearts were moved?

Photo Courtesy @Shutterstock.com/David Carillet

Photo Courtesy @Shutterstock.com/David Carillet

God equipped you to make this world a better place, but are you willing? The year is young, so it is not too late to set a goal or two that focuses on helping others. If you’re unsure what that goal looks like, pray for God to reveal it to you. He is the one who has the answer because He is the one who created you, called you, empowered you, and equipped you! Now go make our world a better place to live!! 

I would love to hear your thoughts. Please share your comments by clicking the link below.  

Blessings,

Lee Ann

7.20.13 Stop Wasting Precious Time!

     If you knew that God would provide you all the financial resources, surround you with the right people, and give you all the wisdom you need to make one positive change in our world, what change would you make?

    I want to change people’s mindset about giving. I want them to see that God has called us to give generously while we’re alive. I believe our culture is wrongly caught up with how to hand off inheritances in tax efficient ways. We should focus on how to share God’s resources generously right now. When I read God’s promises to those who give generously and the joy that comes of it, I conclude that most of us are missing the boat.

    I want to write a book on “living giving.” But as soon as I articulate that desire, the noise between my ears gets louder. How can I even embrace the goal to write a book when I struggle to publish blog posts?! I feel more frustrated with writing than not. When I look at the time and resources I invest to sharpen my writing skills and how hard it is to produce quality content twice a month, I ask myself, “Who are you kidding? You really think you can write a book?” When I feel discouraged as a writer, my confidence wanes that I can write a book that people will want to read.

     Do you know what keeps me going? I believe God has given me a biblically based, life-changing message around giving, and book is the most effective vehicle to communicate it. Quitting is not an option! I need to figure out how to write my book in a way that inspires people and motivates them to make the paradigm shift from leaving behind resources at death, to “living giving,” the biblical model Jesus has given us. I want to show people how they can leverage the principle of compounding, especially when a young family member has so much investment time on his side. I want people to learn how to think outside the box and be creative about how to give with the resources God has already entrusted to them. This is how I want to impact the world.

     What about you? How do you want to change the world? Do you have noise between your ears? Do you question whether or not you can change the world? It might be a new invention. It might be a persuasive idea. It might be a better model to deliver care to someone. In The Purpose Driven Life, author Rick Warren shares the acronym, SHAPE, to determine how God ordained us to make a difference in His world:

     S – Spiritual Gifts – What are your spiritual gifts?

     H – Heart – What is your passion? What do you love to do?

     A – Abilities – What are your God-given abilities, aptitudes, skillsets, special training, etc?

     P – Personality – Where does my personality best suit me to serve?

     E – Experiences – What life experiences have I had that I can use to make a difference for others?

     If you’re wondering how you can positively change the world, ask yourself, “What is my S.H.A.P.E.?” Rick Warren says, “Your ministry will be most effective and fulfilling when you use your gifts and abilities in the area of your heart’s desire in a way that best expresses your personality and experience.”

    When I’m tempted to quit, I am reminded that God has given me a “SHAPE” for the passion of “living giving.” I want to show you how little it takes to change lives through Roth IRAs or 529 plans. I want to show you how you can use life insurance by gifting premium for a family member. There are other ideas to illustrate “living giving.”

     I don’t have to worry about the financial resources this might entail because God owns it all. He knows how to provide what I need financially. I also don’t need to worry about finding wisdom. James 1:5 invites us to ask God to give us “generous portions of wisdom,” and He will supply it. In the end God has given each of us a “S.H.A.P.E” that He wants us to use to change His world. He is the one who has given you the passion, so He will supply all that you need to accomplish it. It’s time to stop listening to the noise between our ears and stop wasting time that could be spent making a difference now.

     How do you want to change the world? If you’re not sure, assess your S.H.A.P.E. and see what God may be preparing for you to do. Eph 2:10 says, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God has prepared in advance for us to do.

 

Blessings,

Lee Ann