There is an old Dutch proverb, “Change the world – begin with yourself.” Jesus gives us this advice: “And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying, ‘Friend, let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye, then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.” (Luke 6:41-42)
Humans tend to be self-centered, but when we look at ourselves we either see the person we want to be, or we see the person others have told us that we are. It is like looking into a distorted mirror at the fun house of a carnival. We can only get a true vision of ourselves reflected by God’s word. Instead of judging ourselves by our own standard or the standard of others, we can use God’s standard to compare ourselves to the new creation God has ordained us to be. To paraphrase a worship song, we are who He says we are and He says we are His own.
I love the story you may have heard before about a woman who announced to her pastor that she was leaving to find another church. When he asked her why, she responded, “I look around the church on Sunday morning and people are looking at their devises, talking to each other or even nodding off. I can’t stand to be around such disrespect for God.” He asked her to do one favor for him before she left. He gave her a full glass of water and asked her to carry it outside and completely around the church without spilling a drop. She agreed even though she had no idea why he would ask her to do such a thing. When she returned he asked, “Did you see anyone disrespecting God on your trip around the church?” She told him she didn’t see anything because she was concentrating on the glass to make sure she didn’t spill the water. He said, “When you concentrate completely like that on your worship and honor of God, you will no longer be aware of what others are doing.” She was so concerned about the disrespect of others that she didn’t see how disrespectful her people watching had become.
Only God can change a person, or the world for that matter. Remember the change that He wrought in your life when you became a Christian? The best way for us to change the world is to accept Jesus Christ ourselves and then introduce others to Him. I have heard many parents say they want to leave a better world for the sake of their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. They may well accomplish that goal by leaving better, godly children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren for the sake of the world.