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Apples of Gold
Radio Script for October 13, 2010
“You Are a Trajectory Changer”
Hello, I’m Doug Apple…with Apples of Gold.
You don’t have to change the world.
If you think you do, you are going to burn out into a little smoldering ash heap of guilt and failure.
I’m not telling you to give up, not at all; but there is only so much you can do.
Think about this. Jesus Himself did not live at a breathless pace. He never went to Rome. He didn’t shake every hand and kiss every baby. He even did things like go to the Pool of Bethesda, heal one man, then duck out of there because it was so crowded.
He did His part, and that was it. He finished the works the Father had given Him to finish.
And that’s all you can do – your part – but have you ever had the feeling that your part wasn’t enough?
Well it isn’t, and that’s okay. Just keep doing your part, let others do their part, and that’s how the work gets done. That’s how the world is changed.
Here’s an interesting phrase: Apollos watered. That’s what it says in First Corinthians 3:6. It says that Paul planted, Apollos watered, but God made it grow.
Apollos didn’t have to do it all. In that verse he simply watered. He added to someone else’s labor.
Listen to what Jesus said in John 4:38, “…others have labored and you have entered into their labors.”
None of us started this work. We have simply entered into the labor of others. And if the Lord tarries, we will eventually leave our labor behind for someone else.
The problem with just doing your part is that it’s hard to see the effect. You do something, then step back and look and what do you see? You went to a lot of effort and the world seems no different.
For example, have you ever organized a vacation Bible school? It’s a ton of work, with volunteers and curriculum and crafts and snacks, and when it’s over you collapse in a heap and what do you get for it? A list of improvements for next year.
The next day you open the newspaper and the world is the same. You worked like a maniac and nothing changed.
Well that’s not true, so let me give you a different way to look at it.
You are a “trajectory changer.”
Have you ever fired a gun at a target? It’s not as easy as it looks. I mean, you aim, and it looks like you are going to hit the bulls-eye, but then you miss. How come?
It has to do with “trajectory.” If you move the gun ever so slightly, it changes the location of the bullet radically by the time it gets to the target. A tiny change of trajectory at the point of origination causes a big change of trajectory at the point of destination.
Or think about the moon launch. We have to launch the space capsule at just the right time in just the right direction at just the right speed in order to hit the moon. A slight change of trajectory on earth can cause you to miss the moon by miles!
This is how I see my work as a Christian. I am a trajectory changer. When someone comes in contact with me, I hope to nudge their trajectory closer to God.
When those kids come to your vacation Bible school, you are a trajectory changer. You use the time you have with them to give them a serious nudge in the direction of Jesus.
Those kids may not wake up the next day looking radically different, but that’s always hard to tell at the point of origin. It’s only as time goes by that you notice a change in trajectory.
In Jesus’ Parable of the Sower, the Word is tossed out like seeds. It’s hard to tell what will come of them until some time has gone by, but the sower’s job is to keep sowing.
There’s a woman in Tallahassee who is a trajectory changer and a sower of the Word. Listen to what she does. Have you ever eaten at a Chinese restaurant and received a little slip of paper with a “fortune” on it? Well she puts the Word on fancy little scrolls of paper, ties them up in a bow, and they pass them out at certain restaurants.
It’s a lot of work, and it may not seem worth it if you are looking for a radical change; but here’s the deal. She is a trajectory changer and every time someone reads her little scrolls they are nudged just a little more in the direction of God.
Jesus told us to let our light shine before men, so let your light shine.
He told us to do good deeds, so do good deeds.
Love your neighbor. Speak the truth in love. Go and make disciples.
And if you feel like it’s not enough, if you feel like you just aren’t changing the world, remember, you can only do your part. That may not lead to a change in tomorrow’s headlines, but it will do this.
It will change the trajectory of everyone you come in contact with. It may seem small, but it can lead to big change over time.
So keep this in mind as you do your little part in the body of Christ.
You are a trajectory changer.
Comments?
E-mail me: dougapple@wave94.com.
May God bless you today! With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
© 2010 The Arrow’s Tip
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(Proverbs 25:11 – “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”)
Why “The Arrow’s Tip”? Each morning, after diligently seeking the Lord, I write Apples of Gold. Then before I release it to the public I pray one final prayer, “Lord, send forth your arrows.” I envision Apples of Gold as arrows, tips dipped in the river of the water of life that flows from the throne of God (Rev. 22:1), sailing toward the hearts and minds of men and women around the world.
Doug Apple
General Manager - Wave 94
Christian Radio for Tallahassee
PO Box 4105
Tallahassee, FL 32315
(850) 926-8000
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