What is happening throughout our world?

People are miserable.  People are hurting.  People are angry.  People do not know where to turn or what to do.

We see it on display every day.  Short tempers lead to arguments or vindictive words being spewed.  Leaders lash out at their perceived opponents rather than leading people to a brighter future.  People cannot forgive.  They cannot move past their hurts and disappointments.  They cannot believe peace could ever be a reality in their lives or in the world.

The world is crippled – lame.

It reminds me of a lame (crippled) man who sat at the Temple entrance every day begging for enough money or food to live another day.  He had to hope.  He had no thoughts of a future.  He just wanted to survive.

But then came Peter and John.  When they met the man, they did not have anything that they could give that would give him a little reprieve from his suffering.  However, they DID have something that could change his life permanently.  “Peter, along with John, looked straight at him and said, ‘Look at us.’” (Acts 3:4)

They had Jesus.  They had been transformed by Jesus.  They had hope because of Jesus.  They realized that only Jesus can give us peace and heal our deepest woes.  And that is what they gave the man.  They shared the hope of Jesus, and it healed him and transformed his life.

Do you have Jesus?  Has He changed your life?  Can others tell that you are different because Jesus has changed you?  Are you sharing true hope with a world that is hurting?

You see, like the lame man, most people want something when they actually need Someone.  They think that they know what they need to make things better even though their solution has never worked long-term for anyone.  Yet, if Jesus has truly saved and transformed you, you know that He alone can change what needs to be changed in all of our lives.

You will cross paths with many people who need the hope of Jesus this week.  Are you willing to share the true solution with them?  Can they see the difference it has made in your life?

I urge you to continually allow Jesus to transform and renew you.  The world around us desperately needs His hope, and they need you and me to share it with them.  He is the only answer to what we all need, and He is willing to give it to us.  Let’s make a real difference.

Check out the following Bible Study that digs into this further…