Becoming a Difference Maker

I have never met anyone who admitted that they did not want to make a difference in this world.  While I have met some whose lives demonstrate otherwise, most people would say that they do want to make a difference in the world, at least in the lives of those in their world.  The problem is that most people don’t know how.  Here are four essentials to becoming a difference maker.

1.  Determine You’re Identity.
You must clarify exactly who and what you are.  Have you ever had an identity crises?  Charles Haffey of Lake City, FL did.  He wanted to change his name.  He petitioned the Columbia County Court for a name change.  They turned him down because he wanted to change his name to God.

There are many definitions of success.  Here is my definition of success.  Success is...

Knowing my identity: being who God created me to be.
Fulfilling my purpose: doing what God created me to do.

The first part of that definition is key because before you can fulfill your purpose in life, you must be who God created you to be.  Do not try to be someone else.

2.  Determine To Take Responsibility
I cannot blame others for my life’s circumstances or direction.  I must take responsibility for my own life.  We live in a time where everybody is a victim.  People cry out, “I’m a victim because life isn't fair.”  Well, no kidding.  Here’s a newsflash.  Life is not fair.  This is not heaven.  We live in an imperfect world.  If you really want to be a difference maker, you must take responsibility for the direction of your life.

3.  Determine Your Priorities.
I've got to settle the question, What is really important in life?  In his book “The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership” one of the laws that John Maxwell mentions is “The Law of Sacrifice.”  The Law of Sacrifice says “I must give up to go up.”  Maxwell calls it a leadership law, but I believe it’s simply a law of life.  If you want to move up in life,  if you’re going to fulfill your God given purpose and reach your God given potential,  you’re going to be faced with some tough decisions of sacrifice - “What am I going to give up so I can move up?”

4.  Determine Your Authority.
Everybody lives under authority.  That’s not a choice.  We all live under some authority. But we do have a choice in who the ultimate authority in our life will be.  I can choose who's going to be in charge of my life.  That's the bottom line.  That's the issue of authority.  Who's really going to be in charge of my life?  Jesus said You cannot have two masters in life.  One day you will stand before God and you will give an account of your life.  He's going to ask, "Who was in charge of your life?  Who was number one in your life?  I made you but I gave you the choice.  Who or what did you choose?"