According to the Worldometers.info web site—where world demographic statistics are compiled and updated daily—there are 8,285,085,270 people in the world as of the date of this writing. It is estimated that there will be 9 billion in 2037 and 10 billion in 2060. As for the number of people who have ever lived on earth, some estimates put the number between 34 and 40 billion.

All of those numbers are too big for us to think about meaningfully, especially when we consider our own life to be only one in those numbers. Yet God looks at us individually and with “glory and honor” (Psalm 8:5). When David wrote what we now have as Psalm 8, he probably reflected on his time as a shepherd, contemplating the vastness of the heavens as he looked at them at night. “When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him? For You have made him a little lower than the angels, and You have crowned him with glory and honor. You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet” (verses 3-6).

David contemplated the billions of stars in the sky and wondered in amazement that God would take notice of him, a mere shepherd in the fields. We might feel the same way as we contemplate the billions of people who live on our planet at this moment—not to mention the tens of billions who have come before us—and wonder in amazement that God takes notice of us as an individual, much less crowns us with “glory and honor.”

Yet He does! The same David who contemplated his seeming insignificance in the grand scheme of God’s creation also contemplated his own uniqueness as a creation of God. “For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.... Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them” (Psalm 139:13-16).

If you are reading these words today, you are one among more than eight billion people on the planet. Yet by contrast you are a uniquely formed creation of God whose days were recorded in God’s “book” before one of them came to pass. And one of those days is today. If you are living and breathing today, you are in the midst of God’s purpose and plan for your life. I do not believe that God simply planned for you to have a pulse today. Instead, I believe you have a pulse for a purpose. If you are alive on planet Earth today, it is because God wants you to be here. You are not here by mistake; you are here to discover the purpose and calling of God for your life and to fulfill that calling through the myriad opportunities that exist in every period of time before Jesus returns to earth.

The Possibilities

In order to consider the possibilities for ministry that exist today, let’s divide human history into two big sections: pre-1440 and post-1440. Why 1440? Because that is when the printing press was invented by Johannes Gutenberg in Germany. Prior to that time, all written communication was done by hand one letter at a time—think of the time it took to reproduce original biblical manuscripts and copies prior to 1440.

Since 1440, the printed word has continued to proliferate in various forms around the world: books, magazines, Bibles, and the Internet. At Turning Point we have taken advantage of every new technology to distribute the Word of God as those technologies have become available. Most recently, we have begun using artificial intelligence to aid in our translation efforts as we distribute Turning Point materials throughout the world. It now takes a fraction of the time to translate our materials into foreign languages—something that could not have happened just a few years ago.

That’s just one example of how the digital revolution has created amazing possibilities, all set in motion by the revolutionary invention of the printing press. And there are many more developments in the realm of worldwide travel, shipping, distribution, satellite broadcasting, education, and more.

We weren’t alive in 1440, but thankfully men like William Tyndale were—he created the first English translation of the New Testament which was reproduced on the printing press. But we are alive today. And our calling is to look around and consider how God has uniquely created us and when in history He has placed us and to ask how we can best merge those two realities. If God has put me in this moment of history for His purposes, how can I take advantage of the possibilities that exist to serve Him?

The Opportunities

There is no end to the opportunities we have to serve God in our generation—but all those opportunities serve one overarching goal. Take Turning Point, for example. Our opportunities abound in print, radio, television, film, publications, teaching, digital content, cruises, and more. But all of these opportunities are directed toward the single goal of spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the world. From Genesis to Revelation that is the central focus of God’s purposes on the earth.

• Psalm 67:2: “That Your way may be known on earth, Your salvation among all nations.”
• Habakkuk 2:14: “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.”
• Matthew 24:14: “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.”
• Romans 10:18: “Their sound has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.”

That theme is expressed by Christ in His instructions to His disciples—which we refer to as the Great Commission—to take the Gospel to all nations (Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:46-47; John 20:21).

When it comes to our individual opportunities to participate in God’s purposes, we first must agree with the idea that we are here for just such a time as this—a time like no other in human history. You and I are unique, and the days in which we live are unique. Opportunities abound for us to merge who we are with when and where we are to advance the Gospel throughout the earth.

Here are three ways to think and pray about the opportunities God may allow you to pursue. First, think about the REACH you can have—your friends, coworkers, neighbors, civic contacts, and other circles of influence. No one on earth has the exact same reach that you do; opportunities exist that are unique to you. Second, think of the INFLUENCE you can have. You have a combination of knowledge, talents, skills, and experience that no one else on earth has. God has equipped you with this influence for His purposes. Third, think of the IMPACT you can have. Not only can you personally share the Gospel with others and help others grow in their faith through discipleship training, but you can support those who are making an impact in the world as well—becoming part of their impact for eternity.

This month’s Turning Points magazine is about worldview—viewing the world the way God does. And that includes viewing yourself as part of how God sees the world and acknowledging the role He wants you to play in touching the world with the Gospel of Christ. I see too many Christians who don’t value the place they have in God’s plans and purposes. As a result, they waste the opportunities God has for them to change the world.

I encourage you to go before the Lord in prayer and ask Him to speak to you about your reach, your influence, and your impact. All three fall under the heading of biblical stewardship—opportunities entrusted to us by God. Let us look at a world full of needs as a world full of opportunities that God has equipped us to fulfill!