MAKE AN IMPACT

Some one once wrote that I should “make an impact.” I’ve already “made an impact.” I’ve been a crappy wife, a crappy mother, crappy sister, crappy daughter, crappy friend, need I go on? I can only hope and pray our kids do better than me. The mindset of “making an impact” comes from a self-centered, egotistical, self-seeking, look-at-me, I am so great worldly attitude, and unfortunately this attitude has crept into the church. So now we have all of these wanna be’s. I wanna be like, you fill in the blank with your favorite preacher or teacher. When Paul told the church at Corinth, “Be ye followers (imitate in the NKVJ) of me, even as I also am of Christ.” (1 Corinthian 11:1) he was not talking about looking or acting like him. He was talking about following or imitating the things of God they see in Paul. God forbid we would just wanna be like Jesus. How many people do you know want to go to the slums of India like Mother Theresa? Do you know what Mother Theresa’s Saint name is? The Saint of the Gutters. I have never heard anyone say, I want to be like Mother Theresa – I’m going to chuck it all, go to India, and take care of the sick and dying. Nope never heard it, but we sure want to see ourselves behind the pulpit in front of 100s, we want the big office, people stepping and fetching for us. We want the big church, fancy building, people knowing our name, the attention, etc. and etc. Just like Jesus right? Folks, Jesus made the impact. He made the name for all of us Christians – little Christ. That is all we should aspire to be. Not all of this other mindless foolishness. We are to be lowly and humble which will make us pretty much invisible to the rest of this world. Dang, no body will see all of the good stuff we do if we’re lowly and humble. No body will pat us on the back – holy smokes we may not get any recognition at all!!! Why we might even end up being REAL Christians if we’re lowly and humble. But unfortunately if we were REAL Christians we won’t be making any impact any where because we’ll just be quietly and humbly going about our business following Jesus. Yeah, I’ve made impact many bad ones, but now I just want to be like Jesus and follow Him. I know I’ve got a long way to go, but with the right heart condition I shall make it. Besides, Proverbs 25:27, tell us, “to search one’s own glory is not glory.” Solomon gives us the conclusion of this article. “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. 14For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14) And remember, the best is yet to come. Written by Karen Stahl