Do you truly believe you can change the world? What is your definition of changing the world?
My current definition (in progress) is: impacting eternity through being used by God.
I’ve fallen into the trap that in order to change the world, you have to influence millions. If that’s the case, most of us are screwed. We’re not going to influence millions in our lifetime.
But if you look through the Bible, there are countless stories of ordinary people changing the course of history. Moses, King David, Esther, Nehemiah, Paul, Peter, etc.
What do they all have in common? I feel like Exodus 31:1-3 sums it up nicely.
Exodus 31:1-3 (NIV)
1 Then the LORD said to Moses, 2 “See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 3 and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills . . .
This passage shows Bezalel was:
- Chosen by God
- Filled with the Spirit of God
- Given wisdom, understanding, knowledge and skills
Anybody who acknowledges these three things in their own lives can change the world.
Bezalel was an artist; a designer; a craftsmen. His wisdom, understanding, knowledge and skills aided his ability to build the tabernacle according to God’s requirements.
All of us have been given similar wisdom, understanding, knowledge and skills (cf. 1 Peter 4:10).
The difference between changing the world or not is how we use those skills.
Bezalel could have used all his abilities to design/build incredible artwork for others. Being as gifted as he was, I bet he could have made a great living and been well-known for it. But eternity would not have been impacted by a few pieces of furniture, artwork or buildings.
The work of God is always to impact eternity.
Only when we allow ourselves be used for God’s work will we be able to impact eternity.
Changing the world doesn’t necessarily mean you have to be an evangelist getting thousands saved at once. Or that you have to write a timeless devotional read for generations to come.
It simply means you know:
- You’re chosen by God
- You’ve been filled with the Spirit of God
- You’ve been given wisdom, understanding, knowledge and skills
And you’re willing to let God use you.
What unique gift-mix has God given you to impact eternity?
For me, I believe one of the main (if not the main) area is investing in the lives of others.
It may sound funny, but this blog is part of that. I started it cause I believe God has wired me uniquely to be a blogger at heart. ;) When I write, I pour out what God has poured into me in hopes that it would challenge/encourage you towards a deeper, fuller relationship with Christ.
Thanks to the Internet, I hope when I die these words will continue to exist and impact others.
10 replies on “How You Can Change the World”
i love this. i was working on a similar post/idea on my blog and came across yours! well written words.
awesome! when you get yours posted let me know so i can check it out!
Nice post brother. I actually have heard the sentiments about our willingness to be used by the Lord and how are success isn’t simply by looking at the numbers we reach, but at our obedience and realizing that the Lord is the one who brings about the growth.
And your definitely one who pours into others. I know I’ve witness that in my own life during our time at college.
aaron! what a pleasant surprise!
great thoughts! i think as of the past few years i’m starting to realize how critical our obedience is. God’s really used John 17:4 to remind me of that.
“i have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do.”
God gets the glory when we do what he asks us to do. God gets no glory if we ignore him and do what we want to do.
appreciate you taking the time to read/comment! hope all is well brother!
think what I like most about the passage you shared (Exodus 31:1-3) is that it said he was “chosen” by God and then that the Lord filled him with the spirit and through that he was given wisdom and all his abilities. I think a lot of times we forget that our qualification comes solely from God. He chose all of us and through his spirit we are given everything we need to be successful in the areas he places us. I think if we remember that it will help us change the world. 1 Corinthians 3:4 “we are confident of all this because of our great trust in God through Christ. It’s not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God.”
Amen to that! We’ve been given everything we need to succeed and make a difference for God!
Great post A-Tran! You’re right – most of us simply aren’t going to influence millions in our lifetime. I think its important to start close to home – with ourselves. Then we can be the change we desire to see.
Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself. ~Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy
Thanks for the quote Matt!
I love the thought of changing the world and have foundation prayer that god always surrounds me with world changers. Thank for being one Tran!
That’s a great foundational prayer to pray! Might have to steal it. ;)
For some reason, the convo we had where you shared you wanted to change your home town has stuck with me. Not sure where God has you now, but I believe wherever it is God is totally using you to rock it!
Privileged to change the world with you. ;)