Changing the world is hard work. There is a reason why few people throughout history have been able to achieve this. It takes a lot of focus. It takes vigilance, perseverance and resolution. Needless to say, it’s been a tough week. Tough in the sense that I find myself constantly having to resist apathy. However, it’s more than apathy. The greatest enemy of a world changer, of men in particular, is passivity. Here is where I struggle mightily.

Let me sleep in one more minute. I liken Monday to the day the alarm went off inside me. When I got to work, it was time to awaken and engage the world around me. No, I didn’t want to. I wanted to sit in my office, let the conversations that would come to me and control my interaction that way. This isn’t world change. So, I took a few minutes and wandered into a couple conversations. That was my caffeine for the day (I like coffee too much for this to be literal, friends). I felt awake and alive. So, for the rest of the day I intermittently talked with various people around the office.

A smile. Tuesday I had a meeting and leaving this meeting, one of my coworkers said, “I like how you’re always smiling.” People notice. When we are engaged, even if only a tad (as in my case) it is evident. And all it takes is a smile. If even I can muster a smile most of the time, I think we all can do the same from time to time. Honestly, what is so heavy that would have us perpetually frowning?

A thought. I can’t imagine Jesus was immune from the struggle to remain focused each day. I find it so easy to go an entire work day without so much as a second thought, let alone a real prayer. This is important, because it’s through prayer that we ask to be refilled with the Spirit each day and throughout the day. It’s only through this power that I’ve noticed a difference this week. It’s not me. I’ve seen what I do and it looks nothing like engagement. It’s passive and apathetic. Jesus, powerful as He was on earth, relied on the Spirit’s strength. Why shouldn’t we?

Our worlds need us. I’m going to beat this horse till it’s six feet in the ground, friends. Our worlds are not ours unless we’re engaged in them. Otherwise, we are merely audience members to someone else’s story. My friends, that is hell. That is death. We have been given life and given it to the full. Let’s live. Let’s be alive, fully. Let’s follow the example of Christ and rely completely on the Spirit. Then, let’s use that empowering to spread joy and love copiously into the world around us. There’s still a world in great need of change out there, so pop the bubble and maintain consciousness.