Making an Impact on Lives

1 Thessalonians 1:3

Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;

“Pastor, I feel like I'm failing to make an impact on the lives of those in my Sunday school class.” This is a statement from a concerned Sunday school who came to me feeling like they were a failure. Anyone who has worked with people has felt like this Sunday school teacher. However, we fail to realize that making an impact on lives does not come easily.

Paul talked about several components needed to make an impact on lives. This church in Thessalonica had obviously made an impact on the lives of many, so much so that Paul addressed this great work and what they did. Let me point out those components Paul mentioned that will help you to make an impact on those you are trying to help.

First, it takes work to make an impact on lives. Paul talked about the work of faith and the labour of love. You will never make an impact on lives unless you are willing to invest the energy to work. Changing lives is hard work. Paul went from working to laboring. Laboring is toiling or working nonstop to see something happen. If you only punch a clock to work with people when it is scheduled, you will never make an impact on their lives. It is working outside the scheduled teaching times to invest in people that makes a difference in their lives.

Second, it takes love to make an impact on lives. Nothing grabs one’s attention more than for people to see you love them. Love causes you to invest in people when they are unloving. Love causes you not to give up when those you are working with don't seem to care that you are trying to help them. Love drives you to keep investing to make a difference in someone despite the ugliness they throw at you. No person has made a difference in someone’s life without love.

Third, it takes hope to make an impact on lives. Hope is the element that looks for one little change of improvement. Hope keeps you going when it seems you are hitting a brick wall in the lives of those you are investing in week after week. You must never give up hope on any person if you want to make a difference in their lives.

Fourth, it takes faith that God will reward your efforts. Faith is the element that tells you it is worth investing in someone that others don't seem to think is a worthy investment. Faith keeps you believing that God will do a work in one’s life when nobody else believes anything will happen with that person. Faith keeps you going back to visit them when everyone else has given up on them. Faith believes you are not to be weary in well doing because you will reap if you don't faint. You must have faith that God is doing a work in the hearts of those you are investing in even when you can’t see that work.

Fifth, it takes patience to make an impact on lives. Changed lives are never a quick work. If you need someone to change quickly, you will never make an impact on others. Patience does not let you give up on people despite the junk they do. My friend, making an impact on lives is a work in progress, and sometimes that work moves at a snell’s pace, but you must not give up as long as people are changing. You will one day look back at the changed lives and rejoice with what God is doing through them if you will just be patient and continue laboring to make a difference in their lives.