The ripple effect

Most mornings, I enjoy walking along the river. Others are also out walking, enjoying the fresh morning and giving their dogs well-needed exercise. I like to smile and say good morning. It is amazing how others respond with a smile and a ‘Good morning!’ It brings joy to me, and I pray it also helps others feel joy. It has been said that ‘A smile is contagious’. Like ripples on a lake or pond that slowly spread across the entire surface of the water, so one person’s joy can affect many others.

In 2 Corinthians, Paul encourages the believers to show the glory of God on their faces (in what they say and do). We can also be encouraged to do the same, knowing that the Holy Spirit is inside us, changing us into God’s image. It makes us want to act differently toward those around us and inspires us to be ‘little Christs’, sharing love and kindness. This brings joy into our lives, spreading to those around us like ripples on a lake.

Lutheran Tract Mission (LTM) has many resources to help you share the love God has for everyone! Visit the LTM website at www.ltm.org.au, search for witnessing, and see what you can use to help others also know joy and peace in their lives by knowing that God can totally transform lives.

May God’s love change you inside and out to reflect his glory to those around you!

‘So our faces are not covered. They show the bright glory of the Lord, as the Lord’s Spirit makes us more and more like our glorious Lord’ (2 Corinthians 3:18).

Anne Hansen is Lutheran Tract Mission’s Tract Development Officer.