How I Would Change Someone's Life

For me, this is an easy question. I would find someone who really hadn’t been shown sacrificial love in their life and really needed someone who could be a true friend, and I would be just that – a friend who shows sacrificial love. How would I do this, you ask? It’s a simple plan, really.

I would start with something simple – love. Everyone needs to feel loved. I am not talking about the kind of love that a mother may have for her child, or the love a husband would feel towards his wife. I’m not even talking about the kind of love between siblings. I am talking about sacrificial love – the type of love that Jesus showed us on the Cross. That type of love never fails, no matter who the beneficiary is or who the giver is. Both will benefit. And everything I would do would be out of that spirit of sacrificial love.

I would show this sacrificial love through encouraging words. A simple hug or smile can make a huge difference. Sometimes it’s simply telling someone it will be okay when things take a turn for the worse. Other times, I would tell them know they are beautiful, smart, funny – whatever the case may be. They say the power of life and death is in the spoken word – so when I speak with kindness, I am bringing life – and that is part of sacrificial love.

There are other times when sacrificial love means I will take some sort of action. If someone is hungry, I will feed them. If they need clothing, I will find them something suitable to wear. If they need a ride somewhere, I will load them up in the car and go. If they need help finding a job, I will help them search, help them put together a resume, or role play different interview scenarios.

Sacrificial love means I will tell them if they are on a destructive path and help them come up with a plan to stop the destructive behaviors by replacing them with positive behaviors. I would help them learn to replace negative thought patterns with positive thought patterns.

One of the best ways I would show this love is to take them to church with me, sit with them, and show them the truth of God’s Word. I would help build their faith and guide them in God’s Word every chance I got. I would sit and study God’s Word with them, pray with and for them and their family.

I would be a listening ear that doesn’t judge them. I would give them a safe place to vent, to talk about their problems, to explore the path of their life, and to talk about their dreams. I would encourage them to chase their dreams. I would be a shoulder to cry on if that’s what they needed. I would take them seriously when they talk about what’s going on with them and try to see it from their point of view.

I would always tell them the truth in love. Using kind and loving words, I would let them know if I disagree with them and why, but I would leave the final decisions up to them. After all, it’s their dreams, their mistakes, and their life. But in being truthful with them, it shows them that I am a true friend who won’t lie to appease them.

I will be the one to forgive them if they mess up. Mistakes happen. People mess up. No one is perfect, and sacrificial love shows grace – even in the most unforgivable circumstances. Forgiveness and grace opens the door for change.
I will also be the first one to admit when I make a mistake or mess up, and try to make amends for the wrong I have done. It’s not enough to just forgive and show them grace – I have to be willing to admit when I am wrong and make amends for it, seeking their grace and forgiveness.

There is one thing I will never do. I will never give up on them. Too many times in today’s world, when someone messes up more than once, it’s easy to give up on them as if they are a lost cause. In God’s world, there are no lost causes – no one who’s not worth reaching out to. Sacrificial love shows the love of God through not giving up on people, always trying to reach them.

I know there are times when I can only love from a distance. But in those cases, I will still pray for the person and their family. I will still do what I can – only from a distance. But loving from a distance means not turning my back – if they come around to a point where I don’t have to remain at a distance, then all else applies and I can begin to rebuild the relationship, which if given the chance, I would definitely do.

This is how I would change someone’s life. And it’s no longer a question of if I have the power to help change someone’s life – I do have that power. The question now becomes, “Am I willing?” And to answer that question, yes I am willing. God has shown me sacrificial love, and now it is my privilege and my responsibility to show that sacrificial love. It is a responsibility because it requires me being willing to give of myself and because it’s something I believe God would expect from me, since He first did it for me. But it is a privilege because of the fact that God first showed me sacrificial love and He has allowed me to live, given me His spirit and strength – so I can do just that. Sacrificial love is so needed in today’s world, and I enjoy being able to show that love to others who so desperately need it in their lives. Sometimes it’s that kind of love that will save a person’s life because we never know what they are going through that will send them over the edge.