Have you ever wished you could do something that would change the world? But did you ever feel that your obscure, little life would leave no mark? You have no idea how wrong you are.

We can all make a difference, every single one of us. That doesn’t mean that any of us can stop all wars, find a cure for cancer, and end all famine and poverty. But each of us can play the role God has given us to the best of our ability.

As I was working on this issue of Activated, I came across two quotes by outstanding women that serve to illustrate this. The first is sometimes attributed to Gandhi, but it seems to have actually been coined by the high school educator Arleen Lorrance: “Be the change that you want to see happen.” The second is by St. Catherine of Siena: “Be who God meant you to be, and you will set the world on fire.”

There is no such thing as an unimportant, meaningless life. Instead of putting our head in the sand and thinking there is nothing we can do, we can have courage to speak up against things that aren’t right, we can take time to practice empathy and compassion, we can create peace around us, starting by creating peace within ourselves, we can be kind to those we come across, as well as care for ourselves. We can create change by taking responsibility for our impact on the world we live in.

Of course, we can’t do it alone. But God will work in us and with us to make a difference: “The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy.”1

  1. Psalm 28:7 NLT