Joy A. Mead

As an ordinary Christian, sometimes I can feel discouraged that somehow I am inadequate to spreading the Gospel’s good news. Surely pastors, preachers, clergy, and those employed by the church are more qualified to share about Jesus, right?

Wrong! When I get into that mentality, I am ignoring the types of people that Jesus called to follow Him and be his disciples. If He called fishermen and a tax collector as well as a diverse, demographic of others, then I have to remember that all people are incredibly important in God’s kingdom. Even with the birth of Jesus—God didn’t just send his Son for the wealthy, wise men but for the poorest shepherds and everyone in between.

In today’s culture, many people are trying to climb the social ladder. Online influencers compete with each other to gain more “likes” and followers. There can be a tendency toward individuals with academic degrees often continuing their education to acquire even more degrees and status amongst their peers. Within a church setting, there can be such aspirations with pastors sometimes seeking out to lead one of the popular and trending churches of our time. Even some churchgoers can try to serve in a variety of ministries just to be noticed and gain popularity with the leadership team.

I’m not saying every influencer, academic, clergy, or average churchgoer has bad motives, but instead, I am trying to point our that there is a human desire to want to be noticed, admired, and have the ability to influence others. We have to always check our heart attitude before God as to why we do what we do.

The only person I need to be is me, and the only One I need to please is God. So, leaving others aside to be themselves and focusing on what God has for me to accomplish, I am more free to make a difference for God’s glory in whatever capacity he sees fit. I feel that it is wonderful when we are humbly oblivious enough to not care or know of the influence we have for Christ. God then takes the full glory.

Each of us truly has the ability to influence and is like the ripple formed when a rock or skipping stone is thrown into a pond. Regardless of the size, the ripple of water always expands larger than the initial drop of the stone entering the water.

Don’t worry so much about the size of your life’s ripple. Just know as you walk in humility, God-given confidence, and with the Holy Spirit’s leading, your life will display a beautiful ripple of influence testifying of the Gospel message: love, forgiveness, and grace available for all who believe in Jesus.

May our hearts be focused solely on God and our life ripples be spread to reach whoever God so desires.

How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’

Isaiah 52:7

So is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

Isaiah 55:11