Most people look at Mother Teresa and people like her and think they could never be like that; they could never be so saintly or make such a difference in the lives of so many. Maybe not, but the tragedy is that because they don't think they can, they don't even try.

What they fail to realize is that Mother Teresa didn't set out to become a living saint or a Nobel Peace Prize laureate. And she didn't start out ministering to multitudes of the poorest of the poor. She just saw the need nearest her and responded. Can't we all do that?

God is in the business of using ordinary people in ordinary circumstances to show extraordinary love. The apostle Paul, in explaining the life of service that he and other early Christians had adopted, said, "The love of Christ compels us" (2 Corinthians 5:14). That same love can compel us--and propel us. It provides both the motivation and the power, and it's available to everyone. All we have to do is desire it, ask for it, and nurture it. The more we put it to use, the more it grows, the more it becomes a part of our natural reactions, and the more it is seen in our everyday actions. This was the secret to Paul's success, and Mother Teresa's--and it can be ours.

This issue of Activated is dedicated to all the unsung saints in the world who daily give unselfishly of themselves for the love's sake. It's also our hope that it will inspire you to tap into the power of God's love so you, too, can help lighten the loads of those in your corner of the world who are struggling through life.

Keith Phillips
For the Activated family