The POWER of "little things"

Can we change our country by improving on the "little things"?

Malcolm Gladwell says yes.

In his book "The Tipping Point", Gladwell cited the high rate of criminality in New York City from 1960s to 1990s. At that time, New York was already the finance capital of the world. But during that period, around 650,000 serious crimes and murders were committed yearly in that city. No one could solve the problem.

Then 2 police consultants experimented on making improvement in New York City's subway train system, used by almost 97% of New Yorkers, but where conditions then were horrible. The waiting platforms were poorly lit and damp, while the walls were covered with all kind of graffiti. The trains themselves were filthy, the floors littered with trash and were often late.

First, they removed all the graffiti, and painted clean the platforms and the trains. Then they posted plain-clothes policemen in all stations to arrest those who did not pay train tokens. In a few years, criminality in New York City declined sharply by 65%. Two little things - removal of graffiti and presence of policemen. But they changed the culture and the face of New Yorkers.

Gladwell says "do not underestimate the power of little things." They can spur a revolution.

If "little things" can change a city, they can change a country.

"Life is made up of little things." Greatness follows if we learn to be great in little things," says Charles Simmons.

Because of his book, Gladwell has been cited as one of the World's 100 influential People by TIME Magazine this year. And his book is changing the mindsets of people around the world.

Respond to our Political and Economic Crisis

Christianity Between Sundays

Answers to Questions on Christian Living

by, William B. Girao

Part 2:

How should My Faith in God Affect the Way I Live?

Chapter 17

(pgs. 152 – 155)

How do we, as Christian, Respond to our

Political and Economic Crisis?[1]

In Less the fifteen years from our wonderful deliverance from cruel Martial Law, our country was again in crisis — a political, economic and moral meltdown. It seems that crisis is a continually recurring national experience. How do we, as followers of Christ, respond to our national problem?

First, never despair; always be filled with hope. Don’t be cynical. Don’t say that nothing good would ever come out of this, or that the Filipino never learns. Do not conclude that the Philippines is a hopeless situation.

Yes, we are in a very difficult situation. But the Lord is merciful and gracious. Wicked men will not have the last laugh (Psalm 2:4). Righteousness and truth will triumph (Nahum 1:2, 3).

At the center of the universe is a throne, not a void; and the throne is not empty. Someone is seated on the throne. And the one sitting there is not a man; and not the devil. On the throne is God — in all His holiness, glory, power and majesty (Isaiah 6:1; Revelation 4:2ff). He is in control of all things. Nothing happens by chance. Nothing ever gets out of hand. His purpose will prevail; and will never be frustrated (Daniel 4:35). He is the one who puts kings on their thrones; and removes them from power (Isaiah 40:23, 24). Empires rise and fall according to his will (Acts 17:26). Even the wickedness of men fulfills His purposes (Acts 4:27, 28).

However bleak our situation may be, it is never hopeless. God is on His throne. The wicked will be destroyed; righteousness and truth will triumph. God is in sovereign control.

Second, sow a mustard seed. Take every opportunity to do a good deed; and even in the most bleak of situations, faithfully fulfill your duty.

Our first and primary duty is to pray for our land and people. Let us identify with our people — confessing our people’s sins as if these were our own (Daniel 9:5, 6). Intercede in prayer for our land. One of the greatest surprises for us in eternity will be to discover that we did much more good while we were on our knees than when we were on our feet.

Continue to faithfully fulfill whatever your present responsibilities may be. Uphold God’s standards of righteousness wherever you are. Man your post; help prevent chaos; help stabilize society. Every good deed you do, in Jesus’ name, however small it may be in the eyes of men, is a mustard seed dropped into the ground. In time it will germinate and grow into a giant tree in God’s kingdom (Matthew 13:31, 32).

A mustard seed: Extend a helping hand to someone; give generously and sacrificially to those in need. Instead of cursing the darkness, light a candle. You could never tell what great things the Lord will do through you. Even your seemingly small acts of obedience to Him where He has stationed you right now will have eternal results.

We intercede in prayers for our land and people; we faithfully fulfill whatever tasks we have on hand; and then we join hands with other men of goodwill in the common effort to try to change our nation’s situation for good.

Join peaceful rallies to express our rightful grievances; write letters to the editors of newspapers; use whatever medium of mass communication at our disposal to express our condemnation of the massive corrupt practices and immortality that are going on and give positive suggestions to address the problem; go out and vote and campaign for the best candidates when there are elections.

But let us do all these as private citizens joining hands with other men of good conscience; not as a local church or a denomination or as a Christian organization.

Third and finally, don’t fly away: stay, identify and suffer with our people in their dark hour and time of need. Do not leave the Philippines; do not emigrate to the US; don’t go away. If we really love our land and people, as we say we do, then, our immediate response, when things are at their worst, should not be to reject the Philippines and go look for greener pastures.

The Lord was willing to withhold judgment over Sodom and Gomorrah if there were only but ten righteous men in the city, as Abraham pleaded in prayer (Genesis 18:32). But alas! There was only one righteous man. And even Lot was sullied in his righteousness. And so Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed.

The lives of the righteous are precious in God’s sight. God, in His grace and mer4cy, withholds judgment over a place for the sake of those who trust Him in that place. Our presence is reason enough for the Lord not to abandon our land and people.

For us Christians to leave the Philippines is to expose our people to destruction. But by God’s grace, our mere presence here helps preserve this our beloved land. If our first choice, given the opportunity, is to abandon our land, who then would be left to serve as salt and light for our exasperating people?

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[1] “Christianity Between Sundays — Answers to Questions on Christian Living” by William B. Girao © 2001 OMF Literature INC.

Reforming the Country One Island at a Time

"It is enough for good people to do nothing,
for evil people to succeed."

This Site is being put together to hopefully in weeks, months to even in years time we could see a change for the better come about over here in the Philippines.

Everything begins in a slow process. It is just a spark to form a flame and once the flame has been ignited it become very hard to put it out.

Just as Alexander L. Lacson shares in a comment "...the answer is in us as a people, that hope is in us as a people." For if changes are ever to be made, which the people are wanting to see come about, we need to stop putting all our trust in government and start working together as people. For, just as one old quote says it well: "It is not the government that makes the people but it is the people who makes their government."

So, as you brows through this site, by reading testimonies, encouragements and so forth, please become a part in helping to make a difference in the Philippines and hopefully even soon to the whole world,

Mr. Lacson makes it easy by giving you "12 Little Things" and do not ever think you do not have time for we all have time to do "the little things" in life.

With Knowledge Comes Power
Start learning the laws the country is said to hold
so we can stop the corruption by keeping one another accountable.