“Let love be genuine.  Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection.  Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.”  Romans 12:9-11

There is so much going on in the world.  We’re reliving the flu pandemic of 1918, the stock market collapse of 1929 or 2008, and the civil unrest of 1968 all during a presidential election year.  There are so many problems, and so many opinions.  It’s hard to know what to do. 

The issues and the culture divisions can seem so overwhelming and it makes us feel like there is nothing we can do.  We might feel like the old song lyrics that say, “I’d love to change the world but I don’t know what to do.”  What’s a Christian to do?

We have to know that we cannot do everything but we can do something!  It reminds me of the old story about the little boy who is walking along the beach.  Hundreds of starfish had washed up on the beach overnight and the little boy was picking them up and throwing them into the ocean, one by one.  A man walked by and said, ‘What are you doing? There are hundreds of these starfish, there is no way you can throw them all back in, you’re never going to make a difference.’  The little boy looked at him, picked up a starfish and threw it in the ocean and said, “I made a difference to that one!”

We can all make a difference.  One by one.  Each interaction.  Each next right choice. We all have a circle of influence.  To the world we may be one person but to one person we might be the world. Let love be genuine. Love with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.