For as long as history can remember, men from all walks of life have tried to make the world a better place. Although we don’t necessarily all have the same idea of what a “better world” looks like, let’s agree that most of us basically want a happy (or happier) and more fulfilling experience of life on earth — not just for ourselves, but also for the people around us.
Where Did Things Go Wrong?
If life can be improved for everybody, then the world will be a better place, right? But how do we accomplish that? To borrow from a famous slogan: how do we make the world great again? And if you’re wondering if our world has ever been great, here’s a hint from the Bible:
God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. (Genesis 1:31, NIV)
I had to bring you back to the beginning, when the first man, Adam, had it all: the world was brand new, diseases didn’t exist, the animal kingdom was submitted to humankind, and there was no such thing as lack of resources. On top of it all, his life partner, Eve, was handmade and introduced to him by none other than God himself.
So why in the world did things go wrong? The answer to that question is quite simple: things started to go wrong the minute Adam chose himself over God. Let’s put it this way: just as life on earth would be literally impossible if our planet’s orbit was shifted farther from or closer to the sun, our lives can dramatically change for better or for worse by a single decision to do God’s will… or ours.
Things started to go wrong the minute Adam chose himself over God.
It Starts With A Better You
Back to making the world a better place. Well, it is impossible unless we, ourselves, become better. The truth is that what we see happening in our societies – violence, corruption, famine, deception, betrayals, and everything else we identify as evil — are the fruit of what has taken root in the hearts of men. And they’re killing us. That’s what happens when good people fall short of the glory of God. As the apostle Paul puts it:
Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, in this way death spread to all people, because all sinned. (Romans 5:12 CSB)
Because of sin, death is in the world, destroying it before our very eyes in many different ways. Over time, through knowledge, we have become better at fighting its symptoms and improving our existence, but death is still alive and well: it hasn’t been defeated, nor weakened, while we keep dying, every day.
For the world to really become better, we must overcome death as well as sin that has plagued the human experience. It may be hard to believe, but it is possible — just not through our political systems; they can’t do that. Neither can our laws, our technologies, or our educational programs. None of those endeavors can accomplish such a feat. Only the Spirit of God can do that! And to that effect, there is an awesome promise in the book of Revelation:
And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. (Revelation 21:4, KJV)
If men haven’t been successful at making the world really better, know that God himself is at work, and you have a part to play in his success.
If men haven’t been successful at making the world really better, know that God himself is at work, and you have a part to play in his success.
You really want the world to be better? Then become a better man! And the best way to do that is to whole-heartedly embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ and let it transform you from inside out. Live it out, study it, celebrate it… but don’t stop there: share the good news of his kingdom with your neighbor so that more hearts will be changed in this generation and the next.
It is only when all the nations become disciples of Christ — the Savior of the world — that it will really be… a better place.
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