I believe in life, we all need to have a passion that drives us, whether it’s aviation, law or medicine; whether it’s being a stay-at-home mom, teacher, electrician, plumber or preacher. It is passion for what we do that makes a difference in this world, but how can we be sure what we are doing is making difference? Three things to consider when asking yourself if you are making a positive difference.
#1 You may never see the impact you are making.
There’s a wonderful story in the Bible that demonstrates how God sees people who are passionate about something. It is a message that we all long to hear; that our life matters! We want to feel like what we do is significant. In Mark 12:41-44, we read about a widow who comes to the Temple to make her offering. She trusted that what she was doing was significant and she dropped a small amount of money in and Jesus said to the Disciples, what that woman just did, it matters, it’s significant. The woman would never know that Jesus saw what she did. She had no idea that her story would be told and written down in the Gospels and told for 2,000 years, reminding us all that what you do matters. She had a significant gift to offer and in return she has blessed many lives. Like the widow in this story, we have to trust that God is going to use our efforts to bless life. Quite often you will not see the results of what you do. You may not know the ripple that you create. You and I have to trust that if we seek to have passion wrapped with compassion to give our best, that God will use it to bring about positive change in the world.
#2 Believe and trust.
Do you believe that what you’re doing matters? Wherever you find yourself in life whether you’re a student, whether you’re young, old, rich, poor, working, retired, stay-at-home mom, are you looking for ways to make a difference? It is so easy to feel like what you are doing doesn’t matter and we can overlook opportunities to make a difference when our expectations get in the way. If you believe that what you do matters, you do it with passion and trust that God will use your gifts to make a difference, you are living a life of significance! When a widow came to the Temple she came with passion and love for God. She had a love for people, a passion and a compassion, and she came in to make her gift because she felt it was significant. It mattered. And it has helped to change the world.
#3 Now is the time.
Our moment to do something significant is now. How often you and I say wouldn’t it be wonderful if I’d just had the power to…, wouldn’t it be neat if I could have had the opportunity to…, wouldn’t it be great if I had a wonderful uncle who died or I won the lottery and all the money I could give away? We’re always thinking “wouldn’t it be great if someday…” The truth of the matter is you have a significant gift to give right now. What are you passionate about? Can you be compassionate for people? To understand that your life makes a difference, that you are significant, and what you do matters. You help to change the world and the opportunity to do it is now, not “someday.”
