St. Augustin (354 – 430 AD) once said:
“Conquer yourself and the world lies at your feet.”
And one unknown monk in 1100 A. D. said,
“When I was a young man, I wanted to change the world.
I found it was difficult to change the world, so I tried to change my nation.
When I found I couldn’t change the nation, I began to focus on my town. I couldn’t change the town and as an older man, I tried to change my family.
Now, as an old man, I realize the only thing I can change is myself, and suddenly I realize that if long ago I had changed myself, I could have made an impact on my family. My family and I could have made an impact on our town. Their impact could have changed the nation and I could indeed have changed the world.”
And the timeless word of God through St. Paul says, “Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” (1 Corinthians 9:26-27)
What do these three men (Augustin, the unknown Monk and Paul) have in common?
These men are busy changing themselves with the grace of God and look what their change did to us and to the whole world!
Yeah, “world changers” are not people who set out to change the world but themselves. ///