"We want to make a difference, but there are so many opinions on the way to do that."

A thought by Kyle Idleman, from his book, One at a Time (p. 12). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.)

I know that a lot of people really want to make a difference and maybe you are one of them.

Kyle says, "We’re drowning in content that tells us how to make an impact with our lives. I’ve read the books, researched the articles, listened to the podcasts, and attended the conferences. I’ve taken notes as I’ve studied the autobiographies of difference-makers, trying to understand how they did it. What were their routines? Their habits? Their best practices?

"We’ve never had more access to inspiring and helpful content to help us become people with greater impact and influence, and yet it seems that more people than ever feel like that’s not happening in their lives."

And that is so true. He continues, "Maybe there’s another way to make a difference, and we’re just missing it.

"I wrote this book because I discovered something unexpected when I studied the life of Jesus. Without a doubt, Jesus is the person who has made the biggest difference in all of history, yet his impact is surprising because he didn’t follow anything like the formula society gives us. He grew up in a poor family and worked as a carpenter for most of his life. He never traveled far from his small hometown. He never went to college, never was voted into office, never held a title or position that would’ve stood out on a résumé."

Kyle goes on, "Jesus didn’t have thousands of Facebook friends or Instagram followers. He wasn’t TikTok famous. He didn’t have a YouTube channel. He never tweeted. I’m pretty sure he never even started a podcast.

"So, how did Jesus make such a difference in this world?"

And that is a very good question. He then says, "If we study the story of his life as recorded in the Gospels, there are a number of answers we could highlight, but there’s one particular phrase that captures how Jesus had such an impact, and I believe it’s how he wants to use us to make a difference: one at a time."

And that is a good starting point. Yes, yes! #continuethought

Comments

“There’s a big difference between building a castle and building a kingdom.”

A thought by Bob Goff from his book, Everybody, Always: Becoming Love in a World Full of Setbacks and Difficult People ( p. 41). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) Have you ever built a sand castle or maybe a Lego castle? Have you? Bob says, “We actually build castles all the time, out of our jobs and our families and the things we’ve purchased. Sometimes we even make them out of each other. Some of these castles are impressive too. Lots of people come to admire what we’ve built over the course of our lives and tell us what great castles we have. But Jesus told His friends we weren’t supposed to spend our lives building castles. He said He wanted us to build a kingdom, and there’s a big difference between building a castle and building a kingdom.” Bob goes on, “You see, castles have moats to keep creepy people out, but kingdoms have bridges to let everyone in. Castles have dungeons for people who ha...

“When you understand that life is a test, you realize that nothing is insignificant in your life.”

A thought by Rick Warren, (2012-10-23) from his book, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? (Purpose Driven Life, The) (p. 57). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. To realize that from God’s perspective life is a test goes a long way in determining how you handle your life. It is important to see that in testing your character is both developed and revealed. Rick goes on to say that “even the smallest incident has significance for your character development. Every day is an important day, and every second is a growth opportunity to deepen your character, to demonstrate love, or to depend on God.” So there is a God purpose behind each situation in your life. Even the bad ones are there to strengthen you and develop you. You see those bad situations are really good ones because they are there for your good. I start each day with a reminder that God is good. Not every situation that is going to come in my day is good but because G...

“Sometimes we think we’re stuck simply because things are hard.”

A thought by Matt Perman, from his book, How to Get Unstuck (p. 52). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the That is a possible trap for many, isn’t it? Matt says, “But if you’re continuing to make progress and aren’t experiencing huge snags, you’re not stuck. Rather, you’re in a dip. “A dip is a temporary hard slog that you will get through if you keep pushing and don’t give up. And pushing through the hard slog is actually the fastest route to the destination. In these cases, you will be especially tempted to bail. Be discerning and able to identify that you’re in a legitimate dip and you’re not a failure.” Matt says another trap to be careful of, “Some people are stuck and don’t know it.” He goes on, “Everything can be going your way, going smoothly, and going quickly. Everything feels and seems wonderful. Yet... you are still headed toward a dead end, a form of getting stuck, if you are leaving God out of t...

Just Continue That Thought...

Search This Blog