I woke up this morning with a craving to watch the sunrise. I went outside and sat at the edge of a pond at the place we are staying. It was chilly and I happily balled up in the chair in my hoodie and held my coffee close. I heard a sound at the edge and looked over and watched large rolling ripples travel across the pond, almost reaching the other shore. I started to think about the source of those rolls traveling across the calm water. I started thinking about the parts of the pond nowhere near the origin of the tiny waves that still saw the little waves travel through.
I started to think about people, our ambition and drive, the desire to mean something more, and be something more than who we are. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to matter, wanting to make an impact, wanting to be part of change, or to influence others. However, when I think about it, how much of the influence and impact is seen as a direct connection to the original source? As I watched the ripples travel across the water I realized that choices and efforts made by me most definitely will cause a rippling impact, yet not everyone in the ripple’s path will know the original source, it will only know the positive or negative effects they experience. That first ring is the only one that has a direct line of sight to the pebble that drops in. After that, each ripple is another level of separation from the initial action.
Conversely, the ripples can travel so far that the rock creating the movement wouldn’t even be able to see how far and wide they reach. Only when we get a bird’s eye view will we be able to see exactly where the ripples reach.
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It can be hard to fight our feelings that we need to feel loved or gain recognition because of our actions and efforts, however, that’s the complete opposite of a Christian mindset. To bring God glory, we can’t desire worldly recognition, even if we receive it, that can’t be our motivation. The joy of our efforts pointing people to Christ and seeing lives changed first hand is the goal.
If we set our goals and ultimately our minds on measuring our worth based on worldly standards, using followers, likes, and shares as a measuring stick, we’ll never reach the mark. We’ll be left feeling like we’ve failed, or we aren’t good enough. We’ll look at how others are doing more than us and feel behind or less important. Ultimately we’ll never feel value in this world.
Instead, we are called to set our minds on things above, using scripture to guide us towards godly measurements and benchmarks that are more valuable than anything we could ever experience on this earth.
Set your mind on things above, not on things of this world. Colossians 3:2
Lately, I’ve been feeling a nudge to shift my mindset to make ripples that impact beyond my perspective and even my time. I’ve set my mind on new standards. I want to point others to Christ, I want to have that be the thing that motivates me to throw my rock in and create the splash that pushes ripples across that pond. I want to change my goals in order to achieve quality in my efforts, not just quantity. If one ripple is made or hundreds, it won’t matter unless the reason for jumping in is about pointing others to Jesus. And I don’t want to focus on the last ripple before I even see one. Standing on the shore thinking solely about how to make a perfect splash to ensure a big ripple can’t be my posture. I want to prayerfully just throw the rock in and see what happens.
If you have a rock in your hand and feel called to toss it into the pond do it. Just one ripple can be considered a success for the Kingdom of God and ultimately you because you’ve achieved a heavenly goal rather than chased earthly things.
