“Be the change you want to see in this world.”
This is one of my favorite quotes. This quote by Mahatma Gandhi is a call to action. It requires us to not just look out at the changes that need to happen in our world , but to look within ourselves to see if we are the change we want to see. It causes us to reflect and make sure that we are not hypocritical agents of change, but that we are effective in our pursuit against evil. Jesus says something similar to this in Luke 6:42:
“How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”
How can we tell the World to change, if we ourselves haven’t changed? How can we tell the world to be a certain way, that we are not? Just to clarify, I am in no way saying that you should not want and pursue change in this world. No, that is foolish. Wanting the world to be a better place and taking actions to pursue that is a great thing. I hope more people will take on that call. What I am saying is that change starts with you. It starts in those little steps of integrity. Like Gandhi said, “it starts in you being the change you want to see.”
With that being said, there has been a lingering issue in this world, that I hope we are all aware of. That is the issue of a lack of love for each other. That lack of love steams from evil and sin. People call it hate; I call it the lack of love, which is the same thing. We see it all around the world. Wars are evidence of it, sex trafficking is evidence of if, bullying, racism, mass shootings, and the list goes on. It is evident that people do not see the value of people. It's interesting to me that someone can look upon someone else and not see someone created by God. It astounds me that we can hurt and harm someone that God himself came and died for. I think the issue stems from the lack of reverence for God. If you revere God, you treasure what He treasures. And if you didn’t know, God treasures his creation. He loves the people He created. John 3:16 says “For God so loved the World, that he gave his only begotten son, that who so ever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” He loved us to the point of death. That alone should show you the value that God puts on each person. If that is the fact, why do people hate people so much? Why do we hate those who God loves?
Let me take a moment right here to mention that our issues in this World are not in lack of love alone. They go far beyond our human minds. Some of these issues are caused by mental illness and other factors. But behind it all, there is spiritual warfare. “We do not fight against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms,” Ephesians 6:12. We must remember this before we call someone our enemy, or claim that we know the motives or the facts of a situation. Usually, there is a spiritual, demonic force working behind the scenes. Therefore, we cannot get caught up in the hype of what people say, assume, or think is going on. There is more to it than meets the eye. However, there is no need to be afraid, because “Greater is He that is in us, then he that is in the world.” I hope that you have the “He” in you.
To go back to our main point, the lack of love in our world has stirred up the hearts of people. People are marching in the streets in an attempt to make sure that their marginalized groups are given the love they deserve. People are standing up and speaking boldly, demanding that we see people as people. Groups of brave warriors are battling the front lines of modern-day slavery; making sure that a young girl’s body and innocence belong to her and are not up for sale. Students are taking a stand to be able to learn in school without having to look over their shoulders at the potential loss of life. Yes, people are standing up for the justice of the homeless and those who can not stand up for themselves. We see and hear this call for change. It is rings loudly in the ears of humanity. All these efforts are great, but we must not lose sight that the change starts with us first. It starts with-in us.
What good does it do for me to be out on the streets marching for equality, but then I go home and cuss out my family. If I can not love my neighbor, who am I to tell a person of the opposite color to love my color. We cry out for others to protect and love the marginalized groups that we consider ourselves a part of, but then we don’t treat the people in that group with respect or decency. We stand for our ethnicities, but if someone within that ethnicity is darker or lighter than us, or grew up a little different than us, we make them an outcast. We stand up for those whose who do not have a say over what happens to their bodies, but then we treat women and men as sex objects and tools. How are you treating the people that you come in contact with every day? How are you treating the elderly, the poor, those who have an opposing opinion than you, or are different than you, your co-workers, neighbors, friends, and families? Are you loving the people and communities around you? If not, then what kind of change are you expecting to have in this world?
The buck starts with us. If we become the change we want to see, we start a reaction. In all honesty, we cannot change someone else’s thoughts or behaviors, but we can change ours. If we knock down our domino, hopefully, the other dominos will fall as well, inertia says it will. In other words, you start to authentically love and care for people, and as Racheal Scott would say “Start a Chain Reaction”. Show your haters how to love. That is how you make a change.
There is action required to move towards the betterment of this planet. I hope that you are praying and seeking God’s wisdom on what those actions are specifically for you because I believe we all have different places and positions in the battle. But before you do that, take a moment, and as Michael Jackson would say “Start with the man in the mirror.” What do you see? Are you the change you want to see in this world? If not, I am “Asking him to change his ways”. Find the areas where you are not loving and seek change in that area. Find the people that you have not loved and love them. Learn to love others as God loved you. This is where the healing begins. This is where change is ignited. I’ll leave you with some more lyrics from the great, late Michael Jackson,
“If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and make a change.”
Love you, Royal,
Moriah Scott
P.S.
God also calls us to love our enemies. That may be a little much for you right now, it’s not really for the faint of heart. We grow step by step. I just wanted to let you know, that is going to be a future topic.
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