Do you want to change the world? At some time or another in your life, you might have had the desire to do something big. Whether it was a childhood dream or the thrill of starting a new career, you wanted to make an impact—to do something that would not be forgotten. But as you begin to see just how vast this world is, it might cause you to wonder… how can anyone actually change the world?

I believe that there is a way you can bring about change using a very powerful tool—the pen of a writer. The Bible says in Proverbs 25:11, “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.” God created words to be used for communication… therefore, we should be seeking to speak and write the best words possible, for the best purpose possible. And that purpose is for the glory of God.

We live in a day and age where, more than at any other time in history, we have the power of words at our fingertips. Libraries and bookstores are stocked with hundreds of books—each expressing the author’s own perceived truth. In fact, according to a study done by Google Books, over a million books have been published since the invention of Gutenburg’s printing press. And that number is growing every day.

Along with books, access to the Internet is also becoming more available to people. Every day, in some way, shape, or form, we are surrounded by words. This can be anything from articles to news sources to social media.

However, with this rise in communication, the use of it for evil has also risen. People are twisting words—something God created for good—and are using them to fulfill their own purposes. While the quantity of books has gone up, the quality and morality of those books have taken a nosedive.

More than ever, elements like dark magic, mythical creatures, and profane language have penetrated literature. And these books are not just for adults—they’re written for children, as well.

Sadly, instead of countering this rise in evil with words of truth, many Christians have gone silent. It’s been lamented by many how hard it is to find good resources out there—be it a book or a website. Yet what are we doing to supply these resources?

In 2014, a study from Lifeway Research showed that, while 58% of churchgoers feel comfortable with sharing their faith, only about 26% had spoken about Christ with anyone in the past 6 months. And this is the trend all across America.

Now, more than ever, there are opportunities for us as believers to speak and write the truth. But, sadly, the majority of professing Christians have cast aside these opportunities.

We can’t expect the world to give us writing full of truth and wisdom. While there are definitely knowledgeable unbelievers out there, they are unable to offer insight into a God they have never met personally.

In Job chapter 19, the Bible says, “Oh that my words were now written! oh that they were printed in a book! That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock forever! For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth.”

Our attitude should be like Job’s… we want our words to be remembered forever because the subject of those words is our Redeemer. If we begin to take Christ and His message more seriously, perhaps, then, so will the world.

Leo Tolstoy once said, “Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.” The change does not start through some big, worldwide event. It begins when we allow God’s words to change us from the inside out. As we grow in Christ, we will have more and more to share with those around us.

One way we can spread the truth is by speaking it to other people. Whether that’s a one-on-one conversation, a sermon, a phone call, or even some kind of video, we can use our voices for the cause of Christ.

Another way to use our words is through writing. Even relatively small things like sending an encouraging text or posting a Bible verse on social media can be an opportunity to spread the gospel. And, as good resources become more and more scarce, we can help to meet that need in many different ways.

Writing articles or books can be a great way to share the truth. And it doesn’t even have to be nonfiction. Of course, fictional books are about a fictional world, with fictional characters and events. However, at its heart, literature proclaims something that the author believes to be true.

This is something that all great writers know. Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Fiction reveals truth that reality obscures.” And Albert Camus said, “Fiction is the lie through which we tell the truth.”

If secular authors can use writing to portray the truths they hold to be true, why can’t we as Christians use it to portray something we know to be true? God created literature and words to proclaim His name, so we should be using it that way.

Some people may say that they’re “just not a writing person” or that they aren’t “good at writing.” But all of us use our words in some way, shape, or form throughout the day. We all write something, even if it’s just an email or a text message. Many of us post things on social media—often more than once a day.

The answer is simple… if you are capable of forming sentences, you are also capable of sharing your faith. Even if your grammar and spelling are atrocious, modern technology has the ability to correct those things. Of course, you should always be careful that you are properly representing Christ and His message.

You don’t have to publish a book or write for a nationally-read magazine. Yes, some people are called to do those things, but you might not necessarily be one of those people. However, I guarantee that you can find an opportunity in your daily life to share the truths of God’s Word with others.

All of this is not to say that it will be easy—because it won’t be. At times, we may face opposition to the truth. But, as David Foster Wallace said, “Good fiction’s job is to comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable.” Anyone who has set out to make a change has been met with some kind of resistance.

We see this in Acts when the early church was just getting its start. Even then, the world was so ingrained in its ways that following Jesus seemed so backward to them. They even referred to the Christians as “These that have turned the world upside down.”

The world is going to think that we’re strange for what we do. In fact, many people might not even listen to what we have to say. But some will. Our accomplishments ought not to be measured in numbers… if you can reach even one soul for Christ, that should be worth it.

So, if you want to change the world, start with your own corner of it. As the Sunday school song “If You Tell Two People” says, “If you tell two people, and I tell two people, then four more people will know. If they tell two people, and we tell two people, then more and more people will know.”

There’s a well-known story that tells of a man who was walking down the beach one day. The tide was going out, leaving hundreds of starfish scattered along the beach. As the man walked, he stopped every now and then to pick up a starfish and throw it back into the water.

Someone who was watching nearby asked the man, “Sir, there are so many starfish on this beach… how can you possibly make a difference?” The man simply bent down and grabbed another starfish. Tossing it into the ocean, he turned to the onlooker and replied, “I made a difference to that one.”

While this story might sound sentimental, it’s very true. So many people start out to change the world by looking at the big picture. And when they realize that their huge, grand dreams are harder to accomplish than they thought, they give up. All the while, they failed to see the need that was sitting right in front of them.

You might never become famous… you might never “make an impact” in the sense that most people see it. But, really, if you effected change in the lives of people around you, you did make an impact.

So the question is, do you want to change the world? God gave us the power of words to be used for His glory—wherever we are, and whatever we’re doing. As Martin Luther said, “If you want to change the world, pick up your pen and write.”

Comment below your thoughts or questions!