Just google search “surveys about Millennials” and you will quickly discover that most of us share one desire: we want to make a lasting impact on the world. My guess is that people in almost every generation feel the same way.
That said… age and experience often produce cynicism. Now, I’m far from old, but I left behind the idealism of my early twenties awhile ago. I know that ordinary people like me rarely make world changing contributions. I know that my time and energy are finite. And I know that if only I could convince my 4-year-old daughter to stop wearing winter clothes in the summertime, I will have affected more change than I ever dared hope and dream.
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A pastor once said, “You can accomplish far less than you think in a year, and far more than you ever dreamed in lifetime.” Will I end world hunger? Probably not. Could I end hunger in my local community? Maybe! Could I do it in a year? Probably not. Could I do it ten? It might be possible. In our globalized world, where information travels from Dubai to Daytona in the blink of an eye, it’s easy to think that changing the world literally means worldwide change.
However, I suspect that Jesus has his eye on something much smaller. Just change your world, your community, your family, your friends.
Jesus has a vision for your life. If you take hold of that vision you will accomplish far more than you ever imagined, even if it seems like a small contribution from year to year. Do you know what that vision is?
Just answer this question: What do you want people to say about you at your funeral?
“Wow, Joe watched every season of Stranger Things. He knew everything about Netflix.” “Oh man, Bridget loved the NFL, she could tell you who was playing who every Sunday.”
I think the secret to leaving a lasting impact is actually very simple. You need to create a vital, lifelong connection to the only person who lasts forever, and participate in the only project that last forever. Jesus will outlast every building built in Jerry Jones’ name. His kingdom building project will outlast the United States of America.
If you connect your life to him and his project, you will leave a lasting, meaningful impact on the world.
How do you do that?
There are lots of things we could say. But there is no better place to start connecting with Jesus than reading his word. But Bible reading has fallen on hard times lately. 9 times out of 10, most of us pick Instagram, Facebook, ESPN, or email instead.
But if you spent just ten minutes in the Bible every day, I truly believe you would make tremendous steps toward becoming the sort of person who actually makes a world-changing impact by building God’s kingdom.
That’s why we’re starting The Ten Minute Bible Challenge. It’s a simple challenge that will get you started (or restarted) in the Bible and challenge friends to experience the same transformation!
You’ve officially been challenged. Go join Jesus’s world-changing mission!
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