May 14, 2025
There is a thought that has been on my mind for some time. For the past while, each time I access social media, which is also regretfully my news source, I have seen things that have greatly troubled me.
There are a great many troubling, and in some cases, very ugly things highlighted in the news. You may be viewing these situations in the news today, and like me, you may find yourself oscillating between despair for the people who are suffering and anger toward the perpetrators of suffering, wars, and oppression.
As people comment on these, there are always comments along the lines of “This is so sad!” or “I hate that this is happening!” While I agree with both of those statements, I can’t help but feel that such comments are a bit useless. How does saying that we dislike catastrophic-size problems help the people who are having their lives turned upside down because of them? It does nothing for them.
So what can I do? Do I pack up a large first-aid kit and head off to a war zone? Do I open my home to five homeless families? Do I put up a video on YouTube exposing the nastiness of bullying? How can I actually make a difference in problems of such proportions that are afflicting our world and causing people harm?
I think this is a question that people have struggled with over time, especially in recent times when, thanks to modern communications technologies, we are so aware of what is happening around the world. What can we do about the evil and suffering that is happening in the world? How can we make a difference in situations of such huge proportions?
Some people take the approach of choosing not to be informed. They don’t follow the news; they block out all the problems. Others follow the news closely and grow anxious and depressed and lose hope as the problems seem too large and impossible to solve or even make a dent in changing.
Others figure that it’s a dog-eat-dog world out there, and you just have to look out for numero uno—yourself. They think it’s okay to trample on someone else, because if you don’t trample on someone else, then someone else will trample on you. You also see the people who just conclude, in despair, that there is nothing you can do to make a difference, so why bother trying? But that sort of defeatist attitude is a depressing one that won’t result in any kind of change or improvement.
Another approach is to donate to charities, and to consider that in so doing we have done our part. While that can be good and important, does that absolve us of any further responsibility for the state of the world or the needs of the people around us?
In pondering this question of late, I realized that I don’t want to live in fear, ignorance, and depression regarding the fate of the world and where it’s headed. Nor do I want to simply ignore the plight of people in need.
In my search for a Christian perspective regarding the problems of the world, I looked to the life of Jesus. In ancient Palestine there were many social problems, not unlike what we face in our world today: poverty, sickness, suffering, war, oppression, and indifference.
The Bible tells us that “when He saw the crowds, He had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36). Jesus looked on the crowds with compassion. He also looked with compassion on the individuals that clamored for His help and healed them: “And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, ‘If you will, you can make me clean.’ Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, ‘I will; be clean’” (Mark 1:40–41).
Throughout the Gospels, we see that Jesus helped those around Him. He healed, encouraged, blessed, and made whole person after person. He pointed the way to truth, eternal salvation, and true lasting values. And many of those whom He blessed, healed, and made whole went out and spread the joy, the good news, and the blessing with others.
We read of the Samaritan woman whom He spoke to at the well, who ran back to her town and proclaimed, “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” And because of this one woman’s testimony, many of them went to see Jesus, and the result of this was that “many Samaritans from that town believed in him” (John 4:28–30, 39).
Who knows what the full ripple effect was of that one encounter with that one woman. Jesus’ ripple effect continues today, and each of us has a part to play in making that happen. You may not be personally called to go to a war-torn country to provide aid or humanitarian assistance or create a charity to feed the poor. But we are all called to do our part to be a light in our corner of the world.
We can each be a bright spot in a dark world. We can show kindness and compassion. We can share a life-giving message of salvation in Jesus that will change a person’s eternal destiny. Take advantage of every day as an opportunity to share God’s love and the awesome good news of the gospel. Talk to the cashier, smile at the kid in the park, thank the teacher, policeman, mailman or server. Be gracious with the poor guy on the street corner. “Give to everyone who begs from you” (Luke 6:30).
And go a step further by being generous. Give of your time, resources, and heart to others. See each encounter with another person as an opportunity to shine God’s light to brighten their day, to bring hope, to be a living example of His love.
Neither you nor I may be able to make a difference to the whole world, but we can make a difference in the little bit of world that surrounds us. We can do our part to shine God’s light and hope on the lives of the people we interact with each day, whether at our workplace or in our day-to-day activities or in our neighborhood or local community. We can give people the opportunity to know God and receive His gift of salvation through faith in Jesus.
While there are problems of massive proportions in the world that I cannot personally do much about other than praying for God’s intervention, there is usually someone or something right in front of me that I can help in some way. There I can make a difference, and by the grace of God show them the love of Someone who cares for them like no other person can. I can reflect God’s unconditional love, care, and compassion to those around me.
When I have the opportunity to help in a big way, I will help in a big way. When I can help in a small way, I will help in a small way. And regardless of how I help, I will remember Jesus’ words: “Whatever you did for one of my brothers or sisters, no matter how unimportant they seemed, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40).
May we each do our part to reflect God’s love to those around us, to share the good news, and to show His compassion, love, and kindness to everyone we can.
Adapted from a Just1Thing podcast, a Christian character-building resource for young people.
Copyright © 2025 The Family International