WHAT CAN WE DO TO ENCOURAGE THE WORLD?

If there are fantastic messages in the Bible, one of them must be that God uses nobodies (like you, like me) to perpetuate effective influence.  Meaning?  We can make a positive difference in a world of pain, insecurity, and frustration.

We are not called to spread the bad news that "they" didn't do church right.  No.  We are called to sow seed of good news with the expectation that some of it will sprout.

I don't know how to say this well.  My motivation is to cheer you on to expand your vision of possibilities.  So here goes.  Wish me luck.

Influence doesn't come about because the world reaches to us.  We imagine.  We knock on doors.  We see three out of ten open.  We try.  We fail at times.  But we reach.

While I am tech-inferior, I use it for my reach.  I marvel at sitting at home of an evening and watching Wheel of Fortune and within my iPhone I talk in so many directions to so many people day in and day out...without exception.  (In praying for years for God to help me to reach the whole world, I believe He created iPhones for me. The rest of you just get to enjoy the blessings of His gift for me!)

Last night I was watching a television program while volleying texts with one of the personalities on the program.  Simultaneously, I was cheering on a friend whose mood was slightly bummed.  While all of this was going on, I was hearing from a congressman as to his day at work with Prime Minister Netanyahu.

And then there was the conversation with a sister in Colorado who is recovering from surgery.  (Get well friend.)  Oh, and the volleying of ideas regarding the Tulsa Workshop with my co-director in Washington state linked with my workshop assistant here in Tulsa.  And....then the communication to those working on housing for the workshop event.

It's ongoing, never-ending wonder!

What can we do to encourage the world?  Quit staring at it.  Refrain from wishing for it. Reach.  Knock on heart-doors.  Sure some will not respond.  But, some absolutely will. I want to reach the world.  I desire to give off rays of hope to nations full of His creation.

Please see your potential to do the same.  Together we can keep this message-of-hope baton moving.

I have prayed for Bill Maher for six or eight years.  I have written him repeatedly.  I don't know if he ever gets my notes.  Nothing.  Nothing to show for these efforts.  Not one thing.  The trying, though, matters.  When/if God gets ready to use any part of my efforts of influence, then it will happen...and only then.

The reason much of the world, from the poor to the rich, is not encouraged by the church is because we believers hide in our unimagination as well as our constant inventory of our own inadequacies.  Neither of these are acceptable excuses.

The world doesn't usually knock on our doors nor ring our phones...first.  We go. We are sent by God with the expectation that we will go.  We cannot hide in religious discussion and wish a hurting, aching, dying world into life.

We must go.  We must reach.  We must risk.  We must love.  We must care.  We must.

No one of any social level is exempt from depression and pain and discouragement.  No one.  We can, should, and must see that everyone gets a good shot at the Good News from God for it is both life-changing and soul-building.

May we have the heart to go.  He will work beside us.  We have the strongest hope to offer.  Let's do it.  Would you please free yourself from self-imposed shackles of "I can't" and move out on that outreach limb...and start sawing?

Very good people need you; need us.  And...we need them.