Tell Me Something Good: Heaven on Earth

Heaven on Earth

How Can We Make the World Better for Someone Else?

by Aaron Kirkpatrick

“What would you do with three million dollars?” That’s the question my daughter asked me the other day. I love that question. Go ahead. Answer it. I know you can. I’ll wait.

Maybe your answer is extravagant: vacations everywhere, private jets, and a house with those towel racks that warm the towel up while you’re in the shower. Fancy!

Maybe you’d be more practical: pay off the credit cards, secure the kids’ college, and fill up the retirement account.

Maybe it’s a mix.

I don’t know how you would spend the money, but I know you COULD.

My daughter’s question hit a sweet spot. It’s a number that’s big enough to spark the imagination, but small enough to manage. It’s not easy, but it’s practical. There are a thousand right answers, and each one is meaningful.

This is the way I feel as a Jesus follower. Jesus asks his people “Do you want to help me make the world a little more like Heaven on Earth?” If the answer is “yes,” then it’s just a question of how we use our specific gifts and passions to lean into Christ’s mission. It’s a goal that sparks the imagination, but the actual tasks are small enough to manage. And it’s amazing how much impact you can make once you decide you want to change the world.

For instance, there’s a group of guys at our church who are really into setting captives free. Okay, they wouldn’t actually say it like that. They’re really just a bunch of guys who enjoy carpentry, and for more than a decade they have been building ramps for elderly or disabled people around Bartlesville. They build a handful of ramps each year, and each one takes them about a day to complete. For those guys, building a ramp is no big deal, but for the people who are on the receiving end, the gift is life-changing. Several of those people had been unable to leave their home for years because they could no longer navigate stairs, and then in a morning their life is changed. A captive is set free, and their world becomes a little more like Heaven on Earth.

That’s just one cool example out of infinite options. There are countless more. Show kindness to a neighbor. Stand shoulder to shoulder with the disenfranchised. Practice hospitality. Treat others the way you want to be treated. You don’t need me to tell you exactly how to go about making the world a better place, because when you’re acting out of love for others, there are no wrong answers. You lean into Jesus’ way of life, and then you look for opportunities to act.

You already have everything you need. So let me ask you a question, like my daughter asked me:

If you could make the world a better place for someone today, what would you do?