The Difference is Jesus or, Jesus makes all the Difference

"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. " Colossians 3:17

Everything I do, as a child of God, should be done "in His Name" - that is, everything should be conformable to His character and to His purpose. His character is pure, righteous, loving and kind. His purpose is to glorify the Father - and so my purpose must also be to glorify God, as Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 10:31: "...whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."

If I simply give a hungry child food, clothing, shelter, education, health care, even love and comfort, without doing it for the glory of God, in the Name of Jesus Christ, then I am doing it ultimately for either my own glory or the glory of the child. This I simply must not do!

But what does it really mean to glorify God in everything I do? "It does not mean to make Him more glorious. It means to acknowledge His glory, to value it above all things, and to make it known. It implies heartfelt gratitude: 'The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me' (Psalm 50:23)." (John Piper, 'Desiring God' pg. 56).

So our work with Compassion: telling others about the ministry, finding sponsors for children in need, praying for children and workers, sponsoring children (and thereby providing essentials for their lives), networking with others, encouraging and building up workers, children and collegues, and more, is for the glory of God alone! It is with grattitude to Him for the work, for the results, for the process, that we glorify our Lord.

"The Difference is Jesus" is not simply that Jesus is proclaimed to every child, or that children are discipled through every stage of the Compassion ministry - as transforming, wonderful and essential as this is - the difference is that Jesus is glorified, His Name is proclaimed, and all the work done is conformable to His purposes and His character, and as we thank Him for our service to Him for the childrens' sake, He is glorified, and we are fulfilled in our purpose in life: "Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory." (Isaiah 43:6-7)

Praise the LORD!