How to Change the World 101

Have you ever been listening to a preacher, or a very persuasive speaker talk about the problems in today's world? Do you know the tight feeling that squeezes your chest when you hear the hopeless state of mankind? Has the deep flames of righteous anger boil in you as you squirm in your seat, desperate for a way to release the tension you are feeling? The conviction that you want to change things? The hopelessness when you realize that you can't? I have been there before. Actually, I was right there in that seat just over a year ago.

There was a guest speaker that came to my church, and he was speaking on abortion. The passion with which he spurred his audience on to action made my heart lift, fall, and cry with every word. Anger roiled in my chest, and I was rightly furious hearing about the massacre of God's precious children. Desperation filled me the more he spoke, and I knew right then and there that I couldn't walk out of his talk unchanged. But I would. Just weeks before, I had heard another speaker talking about sharing the gospel, and while I had taken all his advice to heart and spoke the good news, I hadn't really done much.

When I heard that speaker, I knew deep down that I HAD to do something, otherwise I would burn up inside... or worse, fall into the lax belief that someone else would take care of the problem for me. I was quick to realize that no one was going to listen to a six-teen-year-old girl at the time on the topic of abortion, and I had to just be ok with that. Because that was NOT what God was calling me to do. In only the way God can, He brought to my memory the sermon that first taught me that I could share the gospel. And from there, with the help of other dedicated teenagers, Brave the Battle was created.

If I couldn't help solve other large issues in today's society, I was going to get to the heart of the problem and share Jesus with them. Because if I could be the messenger God uses to change THEIR WORLD, God could use them to change someone else's world, and they could change someone else's world, and so on. The only way from there was changing the WORLD. Sharing the gospel with one person could change the world.

But what if you don't know where to start? What if you don't know how to change the world? Are you waiting for a step-by-step guide on how to change the world? I know I was. If this wasn't such a serious thing, I would say: "The first step to changing to world is wanting to change the world. Congratulations, you've already taken the first leap." Yes, I think that is definitely a big thing... but words don't mean anything without actions and truth to back them up.

You are encouraged to read James 2:14-26, but here are verses 17-18, "Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, "You have faith, and I have works." Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works."

Thankfully, God DID give us the manual on how to change the world, and it can be summed up with this simple verse.

"And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation." Mark 16:15

The Bible tells us EVERYTHING we need to know on how to change the world. The entire Bible talks about one thing. The gospel. And the Bible tells us to do two things. Love God. Love one another. How do we love one another? By sharing the gospel with them. Share your salvation.

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16

In the words of Penn Jillette, a proclaimed atheist: "If you believe that there’s a heaven and hell and people could be going to hell—or not getting eternal life or whatever—and you think that, well, it’s not really worth telling them this because it would make it socially awkward. . . . How much do you have to hate somebody to not proselytize? How much do you have to hate somebody to believe that everlasting life is possible and not tell them that?" Not sharing the gospel is not showing others love. And it is also NOT changing the world.

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8

I don't know about you, but I think that verse above sounds pretty world changing to me. So, if you want to change the world for God, the best place I can tell you to start is by sharing the gospel. He might lead you into a different ministry as you grow, like fighting abortion like the speaker I heard, but no matter where He guides you, He always tells us to share the gospel, so you can't go wrong. Just this past Friday, I heard this quote from another speaker: "Jesus's Great commission is not the great suggestion..." Jenny Cote.

Now that I have finished with the serious part, I will say... that just by reading all of this to the end is saying something considering teenagers and young adults these days (including me) have an attention span of about fifteen seconds 😜. I'm really rooting you all on as you go on your journey to change the world, and I hope you'll continue this journey with me, Kennedy, and the rest of the Brave the Battle team as we aspire to change the world as a unit. The Bible says: "For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” Matthew 18:20. So, let's make a bigger difference together then we could alone, and share the gospel as a team.