The world today isn’t what it used to be. Crime is rampant and uprightness is lacking. Hedonism is blatant, while moral decency is obscure. Abuse is no longer a rarity, however, respect for others (and self) is. Human life has little value, while human trafficking does. Honor is scoffed at, but notoriety is desired. It’s almost enough to make a person give up hope. Almost…
While all of the above is true, the image doesn’t represent the whole picture. In the midst of all the bad, there is good. In actuality, there is probably more good ~ in people, stories, and actions ~ than there is bad, we just don’t hear about it as much. Or it doesn’t make as much impact. It’s not sexy and it doesn’t sell. That’s where it all goes wrong. We give too much attention, too much power to the negativity that abounds, and we really don’t see, let alone embrace, the good that abounds even more. If we will just change the lens we see life though, then we will see things differently.
Frequently we hear stories about bad people, doing bad stuff. You know, the ones who are disrespectful, dishonest, lazy, entitled, and even, downright cruel. We hear or read these stories and pass them on, sharing our shock, rage, sorrow, and righteous indignation, and we lament the deterioration of society. But we hear other stories too… stories of good people who behave in a way that makes us proud and encourage us. Stories of heroes, of bravery, sacrifice, and selflessness. There are stories of compassion, kindness, love, and charity, stories that give us hope for the future, stories that allow us to believe that maybe, just maybe, society will once again return to civility and honor.
We all have the opportunity to influence for good, every single day.
We influence our children, our family, friends, and coworkers; and we even influence strangers. We may not be able to control whatever is going on around us, or how others act, but we can control ourselves and how we behave, or respond, in any given situation. How we act, or react, is an influencing force that has a ripple effect. Being compassionate, empathetic, generous, positive, and kind carries more weight than we realize. It carries more light than we realize, and it is that light that drives back the darkness. It is the light within us that produces the change we want to see.
Yes, there is much darkness, pain, and evil in the world, of that there is no doubt. But there is also goodness, kindness, compassion, love, and light. All of these are characteristics of God, and He has given them to us so that we might show them to others. Because He is in us, and in the world, His characteristics are here too. If we look for them, we will find them. If we find them, we can celebrate them. And if we choose to share these godly characteristics with others, they can experience them too.
Society can change, but we cannot change society.
All we can change is ourselves. We can be the change we want to see in the world and trust that our impact will make a difference, like the ripples in a lake when a stone is tossed in. As Christians, we are called to make a difference, but I think we often place too high of expectations on that calling and on ourselves. It doesn’t have to be a big, grand “thing” to make a difference, but rather its consistency with the little things that can make us agents of change. If we will rely on God, he will help us to do those little things consistently. Things like speaking life, showing love, being kind and considerate, showing respect and compassion, and offering grace, forgiveness, and mercy.
It is by remembering that our thoughts, words, and actions, can and do make a difference in life and that through them, we all have the power to be the change.
Being Flawesome 