love ripples

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5

Have you ever considered that every person alive is significant because we are all connected to one another through a giant thread of influence—or what one of my friends calls, “ripples?” Just like a rock ripples when thrown into water, all of humanity is connected.

Think of it this way: The “ripple” effect of my choices, words, beliefs, and attitudes affect the lives of others, even when I don’t realize it. A friend affects my life, and I affect someone else’s life because of my friend, and that person affects someone else and on and on it goes. We are all connected to one another through our actions, thoughts, words, and beliefs.

We are never islands unto ourselves.

Both the good and bad ripple. Sin ripples. Hurt ripples. Pain ripples. Injustice ripples. Meanness ripples. But good news. . .love also ripples!

My wife and I recently discussed this when considering a particular injustice we have endured. We talked about our choices: We can either pass on the ripple of sin and pain by being cynical, angry, hateful and unforgiving, or we can stop the negative ripple so that we experience joy and others aren’t also negatively affected by our sin. We can cooperate with God and thereby bring redemption into the situation.

What we do with our hurt is never just about us and the other party. How we choose to respond can either continue the ripple of pain, hurt, anger, and unforgiveness, and we’ll pass it on to others, or we can turn that ripple into love, forgiveness, and grace. We can choose to be a blessing or a burden to others around us simply by handling the negative ripples of sin that come to us, God’s way.

The pain that we feel can be used for good or used for evil. One important thing to remember is that how we handle our lives will ripple for generations. To understand this truth, all you need to do is look at what’s been passed on to you from your parents. And, what was passed on to you from your parents was passed on to them from their parents, and so forth and so on. For good or evil, you have been affected.

But the good news is that it only takes one choice from you to stop a ripple of sin, hurt, negativity, anger, or unforgiveness so that you don’t pass it on.

So, what does this mean for you today?

Choose to turn whatever has happened to you into good. Choose wisely, for the blessing—not the burden—of others. How you handle your life can affect generations to come, even some people you will never know this side of heaven.

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (John 14:27).