Why not bring encouragement to those who lack self-worth and confidence. Those who might have confidence but don’t need to prove it by being loud. They are told by society that it is necessary to be outspoken to fit in. Those who’s confidence might be dwindling because of such peer pressure. Those who go unnoticed because they aren’t loud, grabbing all the attention. Those who quietly get along with what they are asked to do without being disruptive or being a clown. This can be in school environments, sport clubs, friendship groups and even church.

In teaching today, most of the attention goes to dealing with those who are loud and don’t show respect or pay attention, and those who are struggling academically. When those students eventually do the right thing, we make sure to reward them because affirmation is good and it might inspire them to try harder. But what about those who neither struggle nor disrupt. They mostly do the right thing but very seldom get rewarded for it. They are lost in the system. The ones who are doing the right thing but don’t make a big deal out of it, are very seldom recognised. Those quiet personalities who often feel that there is something wrong with them because they aren’t loud.

Society seems to make us believe that only handsome, beautiful, cool, sporty, outgoing rich people have a place in this world. I say no! Who decides what constitutes these things? Who says that these are the things that are necessary in life to make an impact? Many people are famous but don’t make any impact. They don’t change the world by making it a better place. They don’t make sacrifices to make a difference in the lives of others. Some of the rich and famous that so many people idolize, haven’t worked a day in their lives, they haven’t done anything for anyone and yet society puts them on a pedestal. I say no. I say let’s rather encourage those who quietly get on with what they need to do without having an exaggerated image of themselves. They need to know that not being loud is okay. That there is nothing wrong with being an introvert.

WhynotImpact is not about trying to change who they are, but rather making them realise that they are important and awesome. That they can be confident without being loud. That they can look in the mirror and see someone with limitless potential. That they are awesome and need to believe it. Not because I say so – but because God does. These are the people, who, once they start to believe in themselves, will change the world and while doing so will always have their feet on the ground – never becoming arrogant.

Won’t you join me in this quest to encourage those who need it the most? Have an awesome day!

In a world where people tear one another to shreds with their words… why don’t you and I focus on speaking life and hope.

A little gesture of friendliness costs nothing but can change someone’s life. You never know what someone else might be going through. So many people feel unloved and it could be that one smile you give them or just saying hello, that might cause them to regain their faith in humanity.

In a world where we are told that it’s all about “ME”… why don’t you and I focus on the plight of others.

Offering to give up your seat on the train or writing an anonymous note of encouragement to someone who is going through a tough time costs us nothing. But it can change someone’s entire perspective in a moment.

Everybody wants to feel loved. Why don’t you and I be the ones who show the world that love that Jesus showed us. We never deserved it but He showed us anyway.

God bless you and have a splendid day as you make a difference!

 

When we’re sitting on the sidelines of life, not willing to be part of the game… part of the solution, and we criticise everyone else on the field, we are in a dangerous place.

Yesterday I was asked to be linesman for an under 16 soccer match that my son was playing in. Now I know that for some it would be a great opportunity to make calls that would benefit a team, but most people would be honest and do the right thing. I am ne of those people. I also admit that I am not the best, and most qualified soccer official in the world, but I do have a good idea of what needs to be done as I played soccer for more than 15 years myself.

There were 2 guys on the sidelines that questioned every single (which was only 3) offside call I made. And when I didn’t make one, that was criticised as well. You just can’t seem to win. Some of you might be feeling that everyone is questioning what you are doing and what you are standing up for! That is probably leading to self doubt! Here’s something you need to know: If you are following your heart and doing what you believe is right – what you have been called to, then don’t listen to all those who aren’t even willing to step out of the boat. If you are going to stop for every barking dog, you’re never going to get anywhere. When you fail and people tell you, “I told you so” don’t stop there. Keep going. It’s better to have tried and failed, than to have sat on the sidelines. doing nothing, and criticise those who are trying.

Never doubt your calling. If you know why you here on earth and you pursue it, people shouldn’t get you off task. You are answerable only to God.

Have an awesome day doing what you have been called to.

 

 

Won’t say where and won’t mention against who, but we went to watch John play in a soccer match yesterday and was appalled at what we saw and heard.

The language and attitude of some of the boys in the opposing team was unbelievable. The ref was sworn at by players and some of the parents on the sidelines even chipped in, threatening to knock the ref out. I absolutely loved the response from the referee. He told the parents to leave and made them aware that their language and actions, was the reason for their boys reacting the way they did.

That’s the world we live in today. There are so many role models, but so few positive ones! The “F” word and the use of God’s name in conversation have become “cool”. We took our boys to watch a Super 15 rugby match a while ago and had to endure an earful of F#*k and OMG for an entire 80 minutes. There was a young guy talking to his girlfriend making the words “and”, “the” and “a” not the most used words in the English language. The words he used won hands-down.

So what’s going on? How have things changed so much in the past 10-15 years? How come you switch on a movie and all you seem to hear are swear words and sex scenes? Why do people find it necessary to say “Jesus Christ” when they don’t even know anything about Him? Why even say “Goddammit” when they have no time for God? And while I’m on the subject, why does the world love to blame God when bad things happen but refuse to acknowledge His existence in their lives. When tragedies happen, we’re willing to blame Him, but we refuse to let Him into our schools, our hospitals, and dare I say it, into our churches. The next time you feel the need to use a name when you’re angry, how about using your own, instead of my Saviour’s!

But back to the issue at hand. The reason for the lack of morality in modern day society is simple; there are no more boundaries set in place. Everything goes! Whatever you want to do, do it, as long as it makes you happy. Don’t let anyone tell you what to do! Be yourself and if yourself is a nasty piece of work, then be it anyway. That’s who you are, and you can’t deny who you are! And that, my friends, is our world in a nutshell!

I say RUBBISH! A world without boundaries will lead to chaos. A world without values will lead to immorality. A world without discipline will lead to … well, it is what we see today! I grew up respecting other people and addressing people politely. I grew up knowing that there were boundaries and it made me feel safe. I grew up never using the F word or using God’s name in vain. And guess what? I could get a point across without it and I’m still here! I didn’t need to swear to be cool and make other people like me.

We are all sinful people. If we were simply left to follow whatever we felt like doing, we would simply be “animals”. Animals eat and drink whatever they like. They sleep when they want to and pee when they need to and even have a c- – – wherever they want. They don’t even mind mating in front of an audience. Hang on! It doesn’t seem too different from where society is going. We are simply becoming animals that follow our own desires whenever they occur.

If you feel anything like I do, you will feel out of place in the “out-of-sync” world. That’s not a bad thing. In fact, it’s awesome. It means you have principles. It means you realise that you are not the only person in the world and that you care about your “neighbour”. I say “Good on you” as we say in Aussie. And “Lekker” as we say in South Africa. Don’t ever stop doing the right thing. Don’t ever stop standing up for what is right. Don’t ever stop speaking up even though society might snub you. The world isn’t completely in chaos because of people like you who refuse to give in to immorality and the lie of “Do whatever you like!”

Keep fighting the good fight and being that positive role model that the world so desperately needs. Let the world follow you, as you follow Christ!

The social injustice that is happening in the world today is mind-blowing. And it seems as if most of us only want to get involved when there’s something we can get out of it. So the motive seems to be the issue.

Speak up about things that are wrong in the world! And when you do it, do it because your heart is in the right place. Do it because you care about mankind (oops – “humankind” would be a more politically correct word).  And when there is injustice against animals, speak out against that as well. Do it because you care. Do it because you want to see change. Do it because you are tired of seeing suffering in the world.

We have become such a self-absorbed society, focused on our own little issues, that we are blind to the real problems in the world. And so often our own problems are the result of our own bad decisions. So often we direct our attention to things that, in the bigger scheme of things, don’t really matter. When ball-tampering happens in a cricket match, the world is appalled by it. I am not saying cheating is good. But is it such a big deal compared to real problems in the world? Kim Kardashian breaks a nail and millions of people sympathise with her.

We seem to have lost the ability to determine what is important. Since I started writing this post:

• people have been murdered because of someone’s greed
• children have died of hunger
• children have died because of the lack of clean water
• children, as young as 3 years old, have been sold as sex slaves
• children have been forced to become soldiers and kill
• women have been battered by their husbands
• people have overdosed on drugs
• children don’t have the opportunity for education
• etc, etc, etc,

Those are real issues! Those are the real things that should concern us , make us sit up straight and say: “Enough is enough!” Instead, we concern ourselves with insignificant nonsense.

If you really want to know what it feels like to be alive, then find your voice when it comes to the social injustices in the world. Speak up for those who can’t speak up for themselves! Stand up for those who can’t stand up for themselves! Having a voice for the “voiceless” is essential, but progressing from speaking out, to acting out is even more important. Words can convict but actions will convince. Good intentions are important, but they have to be followed by actions.

Jesus has called us to be the light and the salt of the earth. Light stops us from falling over obstacles. Salt preserves and stops things from decaying. When I look at the world today, we don’t seem to be doing a really good job of being that light and salt. The world seems to be a stumbling- and rotten place considering all the wars, the hatred and selfishness going on.  Proverbs 31:8 says:                                                                                       “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.”

The church seems to be spending so much time criticising, that we don’t have time to put our love for our neighbour into action. We are so busy with our meetings and social get togethers and our “religious mumbo-jumbo” that we don’t have time for what Jesus actually called us to do. The main focus of the church shouldn’t be the church – it should be the world out there who needs to see the love of Jesus in action!

“Quit your worship charades.
    I can’t stand your trivial religious games:
Monthly conferences, weekly Sabbaths, special meetings—
    meetings, meetings, meetings—I can’t stand one more!
Meetings for this, meetings for that. I hate them!
    You’ve worn me out!
I’m sick of your religion, religion, religion,
    while you go right on sinning.
When you put on your next prayer-performance,
    I’ll be looking the other way.
No matter how long or loud or often you pray,
    I’ll not be listening.
And do you know why? Because you’ve been tearing
    people to pieces, and your hands are bloody.
Go home and wash up.
    Clean up your act.
Sweep your lives clean of your evildoings
    so I don’t have to look at them any longer.
Say no to wrong.
    Learn to do good.
Work for justice.
    Help the down-and-out.
Stand up for the homeless.
    Go to bat for the defenseless. 

Isaiah 1:13-17

 

Comparison means questioning God’s creation. We are the pinnacle of everything He created and the object of His love. He always has, and He will always know what He is doing.

We are living on a blue planet that is flying through space at a speed of 30km every second. While moving at this speed around the sun, it’s also spinning at a speed of 460m per second. With all this happening, nobody is flying off the surface of this ball we call home or feeling the slightest bit car sick.

You and I were created to be different from the next person. You have been modelled by God to fulfil a purpose that only you were created to fulfil. Why do we then find it so necessary to compare ourselves to others? Why do we think that we need to outdo and outshine the next person? Especially on social media. Looking at other people’s “awesome” lives on Facebook and Instagram makes us feel inadequate! Why? Do we find our self-worth in show-casing our highlight moments on social media because we don’t want to be outdone by somebody else? When we get ample likes to our posts, does it give us a feeling of importance?

Here’s the thing! You are special without getting hundreds of likes on Facebook. You are unique without having millions of followers on Twitter. You are the pinnacle of God’s creation, and the object of His love, without having to prove yourself to Him. He loves you anyway! He created you different, not because He wanted you to be like somebody else, but because He wanted you to be an original.

A copy of the Mona Lisa might look exactly the same as the original, but its value is next to nothing. In the same way, we can never reach our full potential when we are not being our original self.

So be yourself, be different and be awesome! You were meant to stand out – Stop trying to be like everybody else. Glorify Him by becoming everything He created you to be. Go and shake the world but do it gently!

 

Sometimes there’s a difference in what we are doing now and what we are passionate about. We feel as if our purpose is going unfulfilled because we are not in the immediate position to pursue it. Here’s the thing… life happens, and we don’t really have a choice but to pay the bills and to make sure we don’t starve and so often, our desires and dreams and purpose are often things that require money and don’t generate it.

Our world is one of materialism and even if money doesn’t rule your world, it certainly rules the world. Because they haven’t yet found another inhabitable planet, we don’t have a choice but to live on earth and be affected by it’s way of doing things.

So, here we are, on earth, with a burning passion to make a difference and to see change, but we are slogging away in our jobs. Too tired to do anything when we get home. Really wanting to, but just can’t. Don’t be too hard on yourself but also be careful of not allowing your dreams and passion to disappear. If you want it, you have to make some sacrifices and work for it. But while you are working towards it, you also need to do what you are doing at this moment in time, to prepare the way for what’s to come.

I am currently teaching and enjoy it, but my calling is to be in outreach ministry and that’s what I am working towards. But for now, I need to provide for my family and pay the bills and make enough money to start the coffee – outreach ministry that God has laid on my heart. It’s a time when God teaches us patience, but also a time during which Satan will try to convince you that you need to stay where you are and not pursue your calling. Practise patience, but also don’t accept procrastination. Follow your passion as soon as you can because that’s what gives your life meaning.

 

Since when did chaos become order? Why has doing the wrong thing become cool? I feel like I’m living in an upside-down world where society accepts things that should never be the norm.

It has become “nerdy” to do the right thing and to stand up for morals and principles. Because when a person does that, you might just be offending someone. Here’s a question: Why can the world say what they want about Christianity, Islam, Judaism etc. but believers of those faiths are not allowed to say what they believe.

Here’s the thing – I am a Christian and I will never deny that. I believe that Jesus died for me and that He has made a way for me to live a life that is free and awesome. I believe what the Bible says, and I stand on that. But what I take most seriously from the Bible is Jesus talking about a new commandment (which is actually based on the “old” ten commandments). He tells us to love Him and to love every person. If you look at the “old” commandments you might realise that all 10 of them either talk about doing things that show that you love God or doing things that show that you love others.

And I take what Jesus is asking me to do, seriously. I love Him with all my heart because He is awesome, because He loved me way before I was even interested in Him, and because He gave His life so that I might live. I take what Jesus is asking me to do seriously. I treat all people with respect and dignity and I love everybody whether they are Christian, Atheist, Hindu, Muslim or anything else. You see, it is easy to love and accept those who think and believe the same as you. The real challenge comes in when that love needs to extend to people who believe differently. I respect people’s viewpoints and love them.

But why is it that I am not respected for what I believe. Why is it that I am not allowed to speak up when I am offended by hatred, vulgarity and injustice? Is it too much to ask to be treated the way I treat others? Can anybody argue that good manners is wrong? Can anybody prove to me that treating people with respect is bad? Can anyone deny that ethics and values are upbuilding.

The direction the world is taking is neither beneficial nor lasting. If we continue on this road of selfishness and arrogance, we are heading for self-destruction. It’s time to love one another, respect one another and treat one another with dignity. We need to look for the things that bring us together, instead of digging up the things that tear us apart. With more love and understanding we will achieve so much more as a human race.

Wrong is never right no matter what spin you put on it! Let’s do the right thing, stand up for the right thing and be the “ointment” for a ‘ripped apart” society.

In a fast-paced world, everything must happen now. When we wait longer than 5 minutes for our fast food, we complain. When we are stuck in a traffic jam, we complain. When we don’t get what we want… now… we compromise and choose something else. Patience has disappeared off the radar.

In the past, patience and hard work were expected. Today these principles need to be “retaught”.  The thing about working towards a goal is that it prepares you, it makes you appreciate your eventual achievement, and it keeps you grounded. Years ago when I wanted to study at university, there just wasn’t the available finances to make it possible. I ended up studying for a year and working for a year. After 6 years, I completed my degree and I don’t think there was anyone at graduation that could have been prouder. Today, 25 years and another degree later, I still realise the benefit of hard work and patience.

When you really want something and you set it as a goal, don’t give up just because everything doesn’t fall into place on the way. Grit your teeth, roll up your sleeves and work as hard as you need to, to turn your dreams into a reality. If you want to be a leader in your field of interest, you need to be working when everyone else is going to bed. And you need to be up, when everyone else is pressing the snooze button.

What you are willing to sacrifice in order to make your dreams a reality, is determined by how bad you want it. Passion leads to purpose. Pursue your passion and and live your purpose!