Often, we wonder if we are making an impact on those around us. Do my simple contacts with other people really make a difference? As believers in Jesus Christ, we are challenged to be light and salt in a world that needs both (Matt. 5:13-16). We are cautioned to be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to get angry (James 1:19).
Proverbs 15 tells us that a gentle answer turns away wrath, and a soothing tongue is a tree of life! But what about those brief interactions throughout the day? Do they really make much of a difference in the big scheme of things? I would like to share a story about how a simple response changed the course of a life – mine.
I grew up in a Christian home and had received Christ as my Savior at the age of thirteen. I attended church with my parents and was a “good” kid. I had never gotten into trouble nor experimented with those things that were deemed wrong. During the beginning of my junior year at the University of Maine, I made a series of decisions that affected my walk with God. I felt that Christianity was boring, and I wanted to explore the “fun” side of life…
I began to spend much more time with those who looked forward to the weekend and the ensuing times of drinking and carousing at local bars and the occasional house party. I jumped in with both feet. I enjoyed the drunkenness and the perceived freedom I was experiencing as I gave myself with abandon to the party life. This went on for about three years. In 1987 I graduated from the University of Maine and returned home to begin working for my Dad in the family jewelry business.
…to be continued in March’s issue!
Cornerstone Community Church 