“By love serve one another”—William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army, lived these words. When he was too old and sick to attend their General Conference, he sent a one-word telegram—a word that ignited the auditorium and brought the delegates to their feet. That word was “others.”
William Willberforce lived by those words, too. History records that in one 30-day period in 1814, without the aid of mass communication, his efforts produced 1,500,000 signatures protesting slavery. He was constantly under threat from slave owners and those in the British Parliament who owned slaves. His fight lasted decades. The greatest influence in his life was his friend, John Newton, author of Amazing Grace, himself a former slave trader. On his deathbed in 1833, Wilberforce received the news that Parliament had finally passed The Act of Abolition, outlawing slavery forever.
Both these men were thought to be weird, to be outsiders, to be too different to have any impact on society. Hmmm.
Today, let’s consider using these words: Lord, You’ve given each of us unique abilities, traits and our own personality. Deliver us from feeling weird, from wishing we were somewhere else, from envy and jealousy toward others. Help us to discover what You created us to be, to enjoy the things that make us so special, to realize that we were born to make a difference, to give this world something that no one else can, to be bold in our talents and gifts. Allow us to help each other and to make a difference!
Have a great day, and help someone out today.
