3 Ways To Make A Difference

– Zig Ziglar

Quality over Quantity

I was taught this, ironically, by the government when I worked for them several years ago. It doesn’t seem like they’ve taken their own advice but the point is it’s not so much what you’ve got, it’s how you use what you’ve got. I think that’s what the late Zig Ziglar was saying. Jesus once said that “whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward” (Matt 10:42). If all you’ve got is water, that water can make a difference. I remember our sanitation workers collecting trash on a 100 degree day so I thought about this verse and went and brought them all a cold bottle of water. I wasn’t doing it for eternal rewards. I was only moved with compassion as these men labored in such heat and humidity. All I had was water but that’s all they needed!

Sharing Little, Gaining Much

James wrote “If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that” (James 215-16)? I’ll tell you how much good that is? Zero! Jesus said “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same” (Luke 3:11). The Apostle John asks “If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person” (1st John 3:17)? Jesus says that whenever we do things for the least of these, we are doing it for Him (Matt 25:40) “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me” (Matt 25:35).

Investments of Time

Every believer in Christ has been given gifts of the Spirit for the good of the church. We are stewards of what God has entrusted us with and there are three primary resources we have; time, talent, and treasure. It’s good to give of our own treasure and it’s beneficial to use our gifts for edifying the church, but we still have one thing left; time. Time may be our most valuable resource but even if we have only a little bit of time left in our busy day, a quick two-minute phone call or email to someone you know is struggling might be just what they needed. When we take time and invest it in the interests of others, we’re making an eternal investment and in that person’s life it can make a great deal of difference.

Conclusion

If all you have is little, share it. If all you have is time, spend it. If all you have is water, offer it. Nowhere is it written that making an impact is limited to extravagance. Instead we can make a difference by giving of our time, talent, and treasure so it’s not so much what you’ve got, it’s how you use what you’ve got.