I Bet Jesus Would Have Driven a Minivan Too

Posted by: Jenny Baker | Monday, June 10th, 2024 ( 9:26am)

Whoever wants to be great must become a servant. Whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave. That is what the Son of Man has done: he came to serve, not be served – and then to give away his life in exchange for the many who are held hostage. 
Matthew 20:26-28 MSG

Maybe it’s just me, but do you ever feel compelled to make a difference in some way? It’s like I have this tangible feeling in my chest that sometimes screams, “Do something important!” An online personality test once identified me as an “advocate,” so even automated forms claim I’m supposed to be a difference-maker. Yet, there’s one thing standing in the way.

Me.

I don’t exactly see myself as having change-making credentials. How does a Keds-wearing, minivan-driving, everyday mom who can’t even make crock pot meals effectively have any real impact in the world? Just getting my teens out the door and myself to work on time feels like a win.

In other words, I’m not exactly the picture of a charismatic visionary, unless charismatic visionaries like naps. But the reality is, I’m just so…ordinary.

But then I take a step back and realize that by all appearances, Jesus was pretty ordinary too.

Born to a family without any social status, Jesus was poor, worked as a carpenter, and interacted with people who were far from being considered part of the popular crowd.

Yet, look at the impact he made.

Yes, Jesus had a slight advantage with his ability to walk on water, heal the blind, and save the world, but the fact that God chose to humble himself by becoming a man lacking in any social status or significance has a lot to say about what a difference maker looks like for the rest of us.

It looks like you. Like me. We don’t need to be exceptional; we just need to be open to the opportunities God lays before us.

Saying a kind word. Putting a grocery cart back for someone in the rain. Buying a stranger’s coffee. Even sharing a little of your own story in a devotional message; you never know what impact the seemingly smallest actions may have on someone else’s life.

Maybe that kind word came at a time when someone was feeling unseen and alone.

Perhaps that grocery cart restored hope in someone struggling to believe good people still exist.

That coffee may have inspired someone to do the same for someone else later that day, creating a domino effect of generosity.

Maybe your story even helped someone breathe a sigh of relief knowing they aren’t the only one wrestling with the same level of self-doubt.

In fact, the greatest opportunities for difference making are often found in the landscape of everyday life. Whether you are impacting one person or many doesn’t matter. Jesus fed thousands, but he also spoke privately with the woman at the well. Both scenarios held incredible significance for those involved at the time. Both scenarios hold incredible significance for us today.

So don’t ever underestimate the difference you can make. As Christians we know that Christ lives within us (Galatians 2:20), giving each one of us an opportunity to serve as a vessel for Jesus to work through. A positive interaction with you can be a powerful encounter with the Holy Spirit.

And that’s a difference anyone can make. Even ordinary moms who drive minivans.