Our One Challenge Mobilization team loves Donald Miller’s StoryBrand company. Don recently interviewed golfer Ben Crane on the StoryBrand podcast, and he made a statement that stood out to us:
“What I do today matters.”
If you left this post right now, but remembered that one thing – that what you do today matters – you will have taken a huge step towards impact in your world.
It reminds us of the final scene of Mr. Holland’s Opus, in which Mr. Holland feels he has wasted his life on teaching while he was meant to be a successful composer. In the midst of that disappointment, he learns that he was indeed a successful composer, and the symphony he was composing was written into the lives of the people he impacted.
What you do today matters. The context in which Ben Crane made that statement applies to all areas of life. Decisions we make today bring about the circumstances we face tomorrow. Said another way, your desires for the future should dictate the choices you make today. Many of us are watching Olympic coverage right now. The performance of those athletes, and the success they achieve, relates directly to the choices and sacrifices they have made over the last four or more years. What if we had the same commitment for the growth of the kingdom? What if we decided today to bypass a $5 latte in order to give $5 to some kingdom cause?
What you do today matters. It is possible that you are now thinking, “What good would $5 do?” You are right, $5 won’t do much, but what if half of the Christ-followers in the United States decided to give $5 toward the kingdom? According to Pew Research, there are just over 76 million evangelicals total. If 38 million of them each gave $5 dollars one time it would result in $190 million for the kingdom. Our agency is a mid-sized mission agency. Our yearly budget is around $14 million. That one time gift of $5 could fund over 13 agencies our size for an entire year!
What you do today matters. In the context of Mr. Holland’s Opus, your choices today impact the lives of those around you – both those with whom you have intentional contact and those with whom you have incidental contact. Everyone you interact with today will be impacted by what you say or don’t say, and by what you do or don’t do. Your legacy is written on the lives of those people, whether you realize it or not.
Be intentional today. Impact your world. Make it better because you are in it.
“Put your light on a stand so that it provides light for everyone in the entire house.” (Paraphrase from Matthew 5:15)