Listen. Do something.

If you take a moment to look into the lives of people around you…whether you’re working, surfing the net, hanging out in a restaurant or café, or figuring out your place in life at college…you’ll find that everyone you’ve met has struggled with something at one time or another. They may even be struggling right now.

But if you’ve never listened to their story or watched it unfold, you will never know—or worse, never care—about it….And the odds of you making a meaningful impact in such lives is slim.

Who wants to live a life without any purpose or meaning whatsoever? Despite what people might say, the way they live their lives is the final word. People want to be acknowledged, to belong, to make a difference in this world, however small.

If we are honestly committed to Christ, we are going to be committed to what He is committed to, and Jesus Christ is committed to loving every single human being.

SO…Christians should love on (listen to, pray for, encourage, speak truth to, give of our time/talents/money, etc.) every person they come into contact with, online or offline, to the greatest extent possible!

In order to do that, we need to listen. And after we listen, we need to do something about what we’ve heard (or seen, as the case may be).

 When I go on youtube, I almost always read the first page of comments, especially if a song I’ve listened to is about God but doesn’t actually say so explicitly. 

Doing this gives me an opportunity to listen to people who don’t believe in Jesus…and I almost always end up either commenting back or messaging a person inviting them into my life via friendly conversation. I take the opportunity to ask them why they don’t believe, or how they came to believe what they do.

The point is not to Bible thump or shove what I believe down their throats—it’s to love them and encourage them toward understanding Who God really is. 

It’s to start a conversation about the life behind the curtain (the spiritual life, the one really running the show) that continues beyond those few messages.

I read an incredible story (Christianity Today) via a link on fb my husband showed me about doing just this. Check it out w/the link above—you will not be disappointed.  

God is amazing! I can’t even begin to imagine what would have happened if the pastor hadn’t listened to this woman’s struggle(s) , and decided to initiate a spiritual conversation with her. Love radically changed her life.

Be bold enough to show the love of God to someone (or better yet, several people) today!

Send a card, write a letter/email/post, make a phone call, set up a lunch date…do what you have to do to communicate that this person matters to you, that this person’s opinion, feelings, values, and actions matter to you. You’ll change a life forever.

Even the smallest stone, when given the chance, creates a ripple in the pond.