Carry each others burdens and in this way fulfill the law of Christ -Galatians 6:2

What if we took everything that we learned in church and lived it out with radical obedience? I wonder what kind of impact we could make. If every Christian actually did what the Bible told us to do, we would be unstoppable! A true city on a hill shining bright for the whole world to see. What if we were known for our love? A love modeled after Jesus himself. A love that moves beyond lip service and takes action to meet needs. A love that is so much more than a feeling, it’s a choice that involves sacrifice.

The needs are everywhere

There are over 415,000 children in the foster care system in the United States.  There is a person on my street, an older women who has weeds growing rampant in her yard.  There is discrimination. Poor, depressed, drug-addicted and lonely people. If we only open our eyes we can see that there are many needs to be met. Some of are big needs and some are simple, small and easy to meet. It’s so natural to go through our day and not worry about the plight of others. We don’t have a conviction to speak up or help out until we have had to endure a similar hardship of some kind. Maybe if we suffer in some way, we would become more aware of all the needs. Maybe if we struggled some, we would feel compassion and understanding instead of judgment and criticism.

We need you to stand up for others

Until people start to care about the plight of another person without having to experience it for themselves, the situation won’t improve. It’s easy to criticize  another’s depression and anxiety and write them off as being weak and negative until you experience the debilitating effects yourself. It’s easy to say that racism and gender discrimination don’t exist if you haven’t experienced it. The world needs people in position and power to start caring about those less fortunate. Change is always difficult, but it is our obligation as followers of Jesus to be the ones to fight for the powerless, voiceless and oppressed. Change needs to take place in order to make progress. Progression is hard but it is necessary.

Everyone has something to offer

You can make a difference. If you don’t think you have much to offer, I promise that there is always someone who has less than you. You can be a friend to the lonely.  You can give someone a compliment.  You can speak up for a cause.  You can give to the poor. You can encourage. You can meet a need. Use everything that you have been blessed with to be a blessing to others. If you have a house and steady income, you can welcome a child from the foster care system. You can do yard work for the widow and if you are in a position of power, you can stand up against gender and racial discrimination.

You can change the world around you

You have power. You have influence. You may not realize how much weight you carry but you do. Your voice matters and your actions effect others. Choose to be the one to love others well and bring hope to your community today.