My ambition has always been to preach the
Good News where the name of Christ has never been heard. Romans
15:20 NLT
“I feel useless
because I can’t work and help out with the bills.”
My wife made the
statement while in one of her depressed moods. A number of health issues
prevent her from working. While she can’t hold down an outside job, she does
tend to our daughter’s two boys five days a week. And although she may not be
paid in money for doing it, her efforts are, nevertheless, work.
After hearing our
pastor address following God’s plan in his Mother’s Day sermon, I reminded my
wife that some of my sharpest and most treasurable memories hinge on the time I
spent with my grandmother when I was a young boy. She, like my wife, kept me
while Mom worked and Dad went to college.
I remember riding
in my grandmother’s 1950’s green Chevrolet and helping her ring doorbells as
she delivered Avon products. I remember the talks we had, the presents she
bought me, and the breakfasts she taught me to cook. I recall how she taught me
to appreciate the beauty of flowers and how she told me often how much she
loved me. And most of all, I remember the spiritual truths she taught me and
the trips we made to church together. These things are indelibly ingrained in
my mind.
“She made a
difference in my life that I’ll never forget,” I told my wife as I assured her
that she was doing the same thing in the lives of two of our grandboys.
Paul, like my
wife, wanted to make a difference. He didn’t want to preach the gospel where
others had, but in places where the good news of Jesus had never been heard.
And he made a difference. He left us with most of our New Testament, and he
started numerous churches where thousands came to know Christ as Savior.
My wife plants
seeds every day in the lives of our grandboys. She has the opportunity to sow
the gospel in fertile ground—ground that hasn’t been corrupted by the world’s
philosophies. When these two boys face the world, they’ll have a proper
foundation not only to face false teaching with but also to share with others.
Let God place you
where He wants. And wherever He does, make a difference in His name and for His
glory. Never underestimate what He can do through you.
Prayer: Father,
use us wherever You please and in whatever way You choose.
Tweetable: Are you making a difference?
