(photo courtesy: google images)
“…the
Jews were jealous, and taking some wicked men of the rabble, they formed a mob,
set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring
them out to the crowd. And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason
and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, ‘These men who
have turned the world upside down have come here also, and Jason has received
them, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there
is another king, Jesus.’”- Acts 17:5-7 (ESV)
There are so many injustices in the world and so
many people who long for them to end. Some have taken the time to step into the
picture to change the realities of most of these injustices.
There are many others in this world who want to be a
part of the change, but they aren’t sure how to make it happen or where to even
begin. There are also many who are afraid of what it takes to be a world
changer.
In order to change the world, we need to have certain
attributes in order to keep moving and causing transformation to occur in this
world:
1) BROAD SHOULDERS: When you start to create change,
there will be people who challenge your thoughts. They will try to question why
you are doing what you are doing. They will try to make you feel like you are
crazy. They might even say negative things about you in order to make you feel
like you are headed in a wrong direction. Change is hard for people, especially
if they are not the person
in charge of leading it. If you are led to create
change, then you need to be ready to take heat and handle haters. Your cross
will be heavy and naysayers will try to make it heavier so you will lay it
down. Do not let the words of the world cause you to stop doing the work of the
Spirit.
2) STICKTOITIVENESS: This was a word I used to hear
my coach say in high school and thought it was made up. Well, Merriam-Webster
accepts it, so add it to your vocabulary. We need to be willing to stick to the
challenge, even if it is difficult. Changing the world is difficult and will
not happen overnight, but we need to work through the struggles that come with
the process. We might not have a huge group of people jumping on board with our
ideas right away, but we need to keep moving forward if they are ideas that we
are passionate about.
3) FEARLESSNESS: We will be afraid when we try
something new, especially when it is something that could change the trajectory
of a community or…the world! However, we need to be able to push that fear
aside, or as Jon Acuff would put it, “PUNCH FEAR IN THE FACE!” If we are truly
being led by the Spirit to create change, then fear should go out the window.
We should not fear anything if God is in the mix. Christ called His disciples
to go on a special journey that would lead to them creating a different concept
of life in a world of corruption and brokenness. The Church began when the
followers of Christ chose to move beyond the fear of death to establish the
mission of our Creator. We need to move in such a way that fear has no way of
controlling our steps.
4) HUMILITY: People will not follow ideas from
someone who thinks they don’t others to accomplish their goal. Humility is the
key to success for any movement. If you claim to be a follower of Christ, then
you know you cannot do anything without His power. You will also recognize that
your ability to create change rests on your ability to acknowledge that you
cannot create change alone. Pride hinders your ability to handle naysayers
because you want to prove them wrong. Pride will cause you to give up when
nobody believes in your ideas. Pride will strike fear in you making you believe
that your popularity is more important than challenging social norms. Humility
causes you to move with an awareness that you are not creating change for you,
but for others because they matter just as much as you.
Creating change is essential for our society to
grow. Challenging social norms and ideas that have been accepted that cause
others to be oppressed is how we mature as a society. Raising awareness of
injustices that hinder the lives of others is what makes a world of difference.
May we rise to the challenge of creating change. May
we move with determination to help bring change to the lives of those who are
neglected and treated unjustly. May we follow our hearts and our passion to
bring a new worldview to the forefront of our society.
Change is essential and God calls His people to be a
part of it. May we answer the call.
QUESTION:
How do you see yourself playing a role in creating change?
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