Impact one life
I went to church on Sunday with a friend. I'm starting to realise that for me it helps to arrange to go together with someone or to meet someone there -- it's like accountability. My cousins have invited me to go over to their place attend service with them (we go to the same church) and I think I might do that in future, if I can't find anybody else to go with. For me, the relationship element seems to be important and it helps to have somebody I know sitting next to me in the service.
Pastor challenged us to try to impact one person's life this year. Just one person. Our church now has more than 2,000 members and he said if we all could go out and each impact one person, at the end of the year there'd be 4,000 people living for God... if these 4,000 each go out and impact another person in the following year, and so on, by the 14th year we'd have impacted the whole population of Malaysia. It wouldn't even take two decades.
When, at the end of his sermon, pastor requested those who would commit to try to impact one life this year to stand, my friend and I looked at each other. "Should we stand?" she asked.
"Well, I guess one life shouldn't be too hard," I replied slowly, and stood up. I know, that sounds terrible. What kind of half-hearted commitment is that?
I remember the days when I'd tell God, "I'll go wherever you want me to go, Lord! I'll do whatever You want me to do!" Back then I thought I had counted the cost, but these days I'm much more aware of what might happen if God were to take my words seriously. Am I really sure I'm prepared to go ANYWHERE and do ANYTHING for God? I don't think so. I have reservations -- I am, as I've said, not entirely prepared to surrender everything to God. I know I should, and I'm trying, but I'm not there yet.
So these days I'm more careful. I guess I'm also wary of promising Him too much coz I've broken too many promises to Him. Words are easy to say, but I want to be sure I mean them this time. Trying to impact just one person's life this year doesn't seem too hard... it seems like a promise that I could keep. With His help, of course.