Back in 1980 (I know, it was a long, long time ago), another pastor and I drove from Michigan to Dallas, Texas, to attend the General Conference Session. My little Ford Fiesta puttered along faithfully.
There was no Global Positioning System in those days. We followed our road atlas, and had no trouble until we reached the outskirts of Dallas. As I was driving, I realized we had driven by the same sign at least twice, missing our exit. I wasn't paying attention, lost in the conversation with my friend. We finally did what some accuse men of never doing — we stopped and asked for directions — and arrived at our destination safely. Having the right information was critical. It made a definite difference in our journey.
Adam and Eve, by their choice to disobey God, plunged our world into the deep abyss of sin. Even though they were the only two in the world, they were the entire human race, and as such, the human race was lost, and would have remained lost, except for God's plan to make a difference by sending Jesus.
Jesus came to earth to make a difference. He announced the arrival of the Kingdom of God. "Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matthew 4:17, KJV).
Jesus ushered in the Kingdom of God's grace. His truth-filled preaching blew away the mist of superstition and erroneous religion that kept people lost in Satan's web. Jesus healed the sick of their diseases and liberated those who were demon possessed. His powerful words of grace pointed the way to the truth of God's love. His parables are full of the assurance that while God hates sin, He loves sinners and has provided for our salvation, forgiveness and victory. And all of it is ours if we stop and ask Jesus for directions.
God calls us to show others the way to Him, too. We may not be able to heal the sick as Jesus did, but we can teach people principles of healthy living. Our cupboards may not feed 5,000, but perhaps we have enough to share Sabbath dinner with church visitors or donate a bag of groceries to a food drive.
One day our doorbell rang. My neighbor told me that she had run out of gas on the freeway. I grabbed my keys and the gasoline can in my garage — it had fuel for the lawn mower in it — and asked where her car was. In passing, she told me she had asked another one of our neighbors for help and he declined. That made me sad.
After I poured the can of gas into her minivan, she started it, and I followed her to the nearest gas station. After she filled her tank, I followed her home. Technically, I had helped her, but I was the one who got the "bigger" blessing. I didn't do it because I am some kind of saint — far from it. But I felt good that day, because I helped someone who was in need. I made a difference in her life for a brief minute, in a small way.
Jesus Christ (God's Positioning System!) came, lived, died, rose and ministers for us from the highest heaven to make a difference in our lives, eternally. What a Savior! Let's tell the world about Him, right here in the Pacific Union.
