“All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” (Edmund Burke)

I heard Cory Booker, the mayor of Newark, NJ, share the following story at a conference I attended a few months back. It was very inspiring and challenging.

Take a moment and watch this short video by Cory Booker as he shares about experience that changes his life:

“The world you see outside of you is a reflection of what you have inside of you.”

What a powerful story. I agree that until we see our world, our job, our church, our neighborhood, our cities, and our country, for what it could be instead of what it is, we will never make a significant difference. 

• When you go to work, do you just see it as a mundane job that you have to go to? Or do you see it as an opportunity to grow, develop, and make a difference in the lives of your co-workers?

• When you go to church, do you see it as something you have to check off your list, or do you see it as an opportunity to learn, grow, and make a difference in the lives of people who need hope?

• When you go to a major sporting event, do you only see a stadium full of people? Or, do you see thousands of people who need God and need hope?

• When you see someone who needs help in any way, whether it’s a need to be listened to, a need to be encouraged, or a need to be served, do you automatically assume that someone else will do it, or do you see it as an opportunity for you to act?

• When you hear stories on the news about things happening in your neighborhoods, cities, states, or country, do you just think, “That’s too bad…” and change the channel? Or do you see an opportunity to do something about it?

Our lives will be defined by the difference we made in life. Every day we choose our attitude and actions. We choose how we see the world. Until we can see the world and all of it’s problems as an opportunity for us to make a significant difference, we’ll never do anything significant.

If we will open our eyes, we’ll see opportunities all around us everyday to make the world a better place.

Make the decision to see the world for what it could be, and not what it is.

Thoughts?

Watch this video of Lecrae’s song: Chase That (Ambition). The video has all the lyrics in it. Pay attention to them.

Lecrae’s songs have been preaching to me, especially this one! What a reality check. Have you been there? So consumed in our own journey of becoming big that we forget that our main purpose is to make God big?

We should always be checking out motives for why we are doing what we do. Why do I have this job? What I am pursuing with my life? Why do I do ____?

My prayer is that God will always pluck out my impure motives for doing things. God, help me forget about me, my journey, what I want, my dreams, my goals . . . and let me replace all of them with Your journey, what you want, Your dreams, Your goals for my life.

He must increase . . . I must decrease (John 3:30)

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? -Matthew 16:24-26

Thoughts?