I am trying to rewrite my inner words, spoken by a harsh inner critic. One common lie she whispers is that I am insignificant, that I will never do anything impactful, that I will never make a difference in the world. When I turn to God and listen to His truth, I hear a different message. What does God say we are called to do? What is it that makes an impact and changes the world around us? The answer is love.
According to Matthew 22:37-40, the greatest commandments are to love God and love our neighbors. The truth is, if we are waiting to make a “huge difference” or “big impact” in the world, we are missing opportunities to heal the world around us right now. It is through small gestures, little acts of encouragement and kindness, and our quiet prayers that we impact the people around us. Wherever we have been placed, there is plenty of pain, darkness, and sorrow that need healing, light and encouragement. Love is the way to make a difference.
Love is Authentic
The motivation to love others comes from experiencing the love of Christ. 1st John 4:19 says that “we love each other because he loved us first.” When we fully understand that we are loved unconditionally, and valued enough for Christ to lay down His life for us, we gain security and courage to be authentic. Our relationships with others are no longer based on our own need for affirmation, because God is our source of love.
It is also important to remember that people are not projects. When Jesus commanded us to love others, He did not mean that we should go around finding people we consider “lower than ourselves” and trying to change them. This is actually extremely self-righteous, and is not authentic love. Genuine love involves a certain amount of humility. We love others because He first took time to love us.
Love and Sacrifice
True love for others involves sacrifice. This is exemplified in the greatest act of love, which was Jesus laying down His life for us (John 15:13). Loving others involves giving your time, gifts, and service to others. Love is selfless, patient, and kind.
Without Expectation
Sadly, in our humanness, we often set qualifiers and expectations on others. God’s love is unconditional. Unconditional love means that you have the courage to love someone knowing they might let you down or cause you pain. Are you brave enough to love someone, knowing you might get hurt in the process?
Love is extremely powerful. Experiencing love provides people with the security and courage to recognize truth. Truth leads to repentance and forgiveness, which then leads to healing, freedom, and peace. All this begins with love. We must not consider ourselves too important or too busy to love others. Loving others is how we make a powerful, positive impact in the world.
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