The face of the little boy would not leave his memory.
Dare 2 Share - And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice--the kind he will accept. When you think of what he has done for you, is this too much to ask? Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is. (Romans 12:1-3)
A young teenager named Cody went on a mission venture to Ethiopia. While there he was exposed to poverty conditions he never knew existed. On one occasion, a little boy tugged on his shirt evidently indicating that he wanted the t-shirt which Cody was wearing.
Cody gently turned him away and kept his shirt. He returned to the States and began to reflect upon the trip. The face of the little boy would not leave his memory. Nor would his t-shirt.
Cody began a campaign to collect t-shirts to send to the poverty-stricken country. He made calls, knocked on doors, and eventually had a whopping 18,000 t-shirts of which 10,000 were usable.
CNN called after hearing of his efforts and reported that they had discovered a relief plane to ship the shirts free of charge--but they could not guarantee where they would end up.
The relief agency used a jet and flew into a country not requiring a customs inspection--you guessed it--Ethiopia. The recipients were ecstatic. So was Cody.
("Vision-It's The Tool of The Spirit." Adapted from John
Ortberg, www.willowcreek.org.)
Most likely you have never had an experience like Cody, but it is important to remember that we all have a calling to make a difference in the world. You may not know it, but the God of the universe desires to use you in amazing ways. The issue is whether you will allow Him to do so. Let me suggest a three ways you can get started down this incredible path:
1) First thing when you get up, ask God to use you that day to advance His kingdom. It's really that simple!
2) Keep a journal or take mental notes of how you are seeing that prayer answered each day.
3) Put together a 'world changer' notebook where you brainstorm ideas on how to use your life for His glory. Remember that if you aim at nothing, you'll hit it everytime.
If you daily offer your life as a living sacrifice, God will not let you down!
Questions:
1) How has God used me in the past?
2) How could He use me in the future?
3) What is holding me back from "game on" with God?
