It’s Good to be Random

To continue with the theme of making a change in the world around you, I wanted to share some advice that was given to me years ago from my father. It also just so happens to be advice given on a very funny movie called, Bruce Almighty. My father told me, “Sometimes it’s the little things you do for people that make the biggest difference.” In the movie, Bruce (played by Jim Carrey) was told by God (played by Morgan Freeman) that “A random act of kindness each day”, is how to change the world. Bruce believed he had to be a well-known, popular and powerful news anchor in order to make a difference. He and many other people are wrong when it comes to that type of thinking.

In order for you and me to change the world around us, we just need to do one random act of kindness per day. In our last blog I spoke about the 4’ bubble of influence around you. While that is a way of impacting those who come into your bubble; doing a random act of kindness may impact someone that you will never get to meet. When you perform a random act of kindness a day, you are helping to change your 4’ influence and therefore begin to change the world around you as well.

You may be asking yourself, “What exactly is a random act of kindness and how will I know when to do them”? Both are great questions. First let me address, what a random act of kindness could be.

My wife and I were stopping by Starbucks on Sunday morning just before church, as we always do, in order to pick up our customary coffees and breakfast. When we pulled up to the window to pay, the clerk informed us that our whole order had been paid for by the previous customer. It came to $23, and yet they still paid it. I was overwhelmed with such a great act of kindness. I was so blessed, that I decided to pay for the person behind me. I didn’t care what it came up to; I just wanted to bless someone like I was just blessed. Have you ever experienced something like that? Have you ever wanted to do that for someone? This was a great example of impacting someone in a positive way without them entering into my 4’ bubble.

There are many ways to perform a random act of kindness. Here are just a few ways:

• Sending someone an encouraging text.
• Picking up a piece of trash when you happen to see it.
• Taking someone out for coffee.
• Sending them an encouraging card.
• Spending time with someone.
• Letting someone in that is trying to merge onto the road.
• Smiling at someone as you are walking or shopping.
• Buying someone some food.
• Saying thank you to someone that is having a rough day.

As you can see, it doesn’t take a huge effort to start making a positive impact in people’s lives. Imagine if everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, did this. Would our world be a better place? Would your day be a brighter one?

I would like for you to read the following scripture; Matthew 25:31-46. (It should only take you a few minutes to read it.) When you do “random acts of kindness”, don’t do them in the hopes that you will be praised or rewarded. Do them because it is the right thing to do. Do them because you know what it is like to receive those kind acts, because you know what it is like to hope someone will show you kindness, or even help you out in a time of need.

I want to challenge you to do 1 random act of kindness a day. Try to do 1 per day for a week. When you accomplish that, go for 2 weeks, then 3 weeks and finally a month. Not only will it change your life, but you will be a small part of a big plan to change the world around you.

How Do We Make a Positive Change in the World Around Us?

In our world today, we see acts of violence, hatred and war.  When I ask someone, “How can you change the world around you?”, they look at me like I just asked the dumbest question ever.  In today’s message I want to explain how you and I can REALLY change the world around us.  For a moment I want you to ponder on that question. “How do we make a positive change in the world around us?”

The definition of Change according to Webster’s Dictionary is:

1. to make different in some particular :  alter <never bothered to change the will>
2. to make radically different :  transform <can’t change human nature>
3. to give a different position, course, or direction to

Seems impossible doesn’t it? Well unless you know how to make it more manageable, it really would be impossible.  When most people look at the world around them spinning into war and chaos, they don’t think they can make much of a difference.  When I posed this question to my teen group at church they said things like, “Who am I to change the world?” and “I’m nobody… who will listen to me?” Can you relate?  I know I can.  In order for me to get to the solution let me ask you some “loaded” questions (this means I will probably know the answer before I ask it, wink wink).

Can you alter the stars in the sky and change their purpose?
Can you make the whole earth a cleaner, safer and happier place to live?
Can you change the direction the United States is going with policies, laws and regulations?
Can you personally make the entire state you live in a safer, cleaner and happier?
Can you make the county you live in a better place?
Can you change the very household with which you reside in?

If you are being brutally honest with yourself, as I was, the answer to these questions was NO.  So by now you are asking, “If I can’t change any of those things, then why even try?”  That is a great question and one I have asked myself more than once.  Well let me share with you the answer I was given from God through the reading of His Word.

^“For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Galatians 5:13-14 NKJV

There are some great people in our history that have impacted our world in very profound ways. Some that come to mind are: Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Edison, Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, Benjamin Franklin, Mother Teresa, Billy Graham and of course Jesus Christ.  I thought at one time that the only way I could change the world was to be someone famous like these people.  When I expressed this frustration with my father, he shared some encouraging advice with me.  It went as follows: “Though you may not be the next Billy Graham, you can be the person that mentored and influenced him.” This gave me great comfort in realizing that, though I may not be in the “lime-light”, I can be the person that guides someone like Billy Graham, who may, in turn, impact the world in a postive way.

I realized shortly after that discussion I could change the world I live in, by influencing a 4′ bubble around me. All of us have a 4′ invisible bubble around us that others come in contact with daily. Any time someone comes in contact with that bubble, you are given the opportunity to, 1) positively impact their lives, 2) do nothing, or 3) negatively impact their lives.  By being aware of this fact and embracing it, you too can begin to change the world around you.