A Positive Difference
A Positive Difference
George Saunders shared his life experiences in the 2013 commencement address at Syracuse University with graduates about to enter the real world. This New York Timesbestselling author approached the speech eager to share the wisdom he had learned during his long life.
Saunders posed this thought-provoking question, “What do I regret?” He began by listing experiences others might imagine he regretted, like starting life poor, or working lousy jobs when he was young. He told students he did not regret these and then said he regretted: “failures of kindness” – squandered opportunities to be kind to others.
In John Blasé’s Our Daily Bread devotional for May 29, 2024, he wrote about the Apostle Paul’s challenge to the Ephesian believers. The writer described Christianity by observing, “It’s tempting to rush in with our answers, like possessing a particular political view, avoiding certain books or films, worshiping in a particular manner. But Paul’s approach didn’t limit him to contemporary issues.”
Unfortunately, many believers and unbelievers view the Christian faith as being primarily about a strict list of dos and don’ts, but it is not. Paul wrote about this and spoke of not using foul or abusive language but encouraging others with our words (Ephesians 4:29). He described what it means to live as believers: “Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.” (Ephesians 4:31-32, NLT)
He cautioned believers not to use cruel words but to maintain a good attitude, summarizing his message by saying Christians were to “be kind to each other…” Paul tells us to treat each other with the gentleness and care God has shown us.
Simply becoming a better, kinder person is a good thing. It is traditional for people to make New Year’s resolutions; according to Pew Research, 30% of us do. This is good because we all have areas where we can improve. Goskills.com says Americans’ top three resolutions are: 1) Exercise more, 2) Lose weight, and 3) Get organized.
These resolutions are valuable, but George Saunders and the Apostle Paul challenge us to aim higher. Life is not ultimately about being in good physical condition or becoming more organized; it is about finding ways to be kind and encourage others. Those who live this way will likely end up with very few regrets. Please join me in being committed to making a positive difference this year. Happy New Year everyone!