God’s Not Dead; The Power of One

There are days when I genuinely wonder if my presence in the world makes any difference. If you look up “average” in the dictionary, I’m pretty sure you’d find my picture there. Sometimes I look with admiration at those who have accomplished great things, and then I let myself get discouraged knowing I won’t ever be one of them. I have to remind myself that we are not all called to be CEO’s, doctors, philanthropists, humanitarians or record-breaking athletes, but that should not stop us from impacting those within our circle of influence, a circle that has the potential for exponential growth.

I recently watched the movie, “God’s Not Dead” and was inspired. For those of you who have not seen it, the story line centers on a college freshmen taking a required philosophy course. The student is a Christian the professor is an atheist. On the first day of class the professor introduces a list of great philosophers & asks what they all had in common (I figured it out quickly); all of them were atheists. Since the professor is also an atheist he wants to fast forward through the parts of the course that deal with ethics and God. He asks all the students to write on a piece of paper “God is Dead”. They don’t really have to believe it he says, it’s just for course purposes. The devil is sly one. You can’t deny God’s existence in one moment and expect His best for your life in another. In a classroom of about 150 students, only one refused to comply. He refused to deny his faith. He stood up to the professor, he went against the group, and he took the path less travelled.

Of course the story doesn’t end there. Anytime you take a stand for righteousness, there WILL be a battle. This student lost his girlfriend, lacked support from his family and was literally forced to defend his faith, to prove the existence of God to a somewhat hostile group. In the process, he won over many of his peers; those who had previously denied God’s existence, now stood in acknowledge of this same God. Yes, this was a movie, but the point was not lost on me. One average person can indeed have an enduring impact on the world around them, yep, even me. An added bonus to the movie was the Newsboy’s powerful song, “God’s Not Dead”, you can listen here:

As we travel through our daily lives, people are watching; they are looking to others for inspiration and encouragement. Being transparent, particularly when times are tough often gives others the courage to endure whatever trials are facing them. I can do that. I can be bold enough to admit my fears and strong enough to let others see me overcome them. I can take the time to listen when someone just needs a friend. I can use my love of running to help bring an orphan home. I use my voice to share my story. I can take the time to offer guidance when someone needs direction. I can bring someone a cupcake when they are having a bad day. Do all of these seemingly little things add up to having an impact? Absolutely. Never under estimate the Power of One!

Becky J Miller
“Warrior Princess”