While recruiting John Sculley to become Apple CEO in 1983, Steve Jobs famously asked the Pepsi Cola exec: “Do you really want to sell sugar water, or do you want to come with me and change the world?” It’s also often said that Jobs also often professed a desire to put a ding or dent in the universe. I think both statements more or less boil down to a desire to do something of powerful significance. Something that is beyond the scope of any one person’s realm of potential.
Dream of Putting a Dent in the Universe
A God-sized dream, one that’s bold and foolish, has the ability to put a dent in the universe. It’s one that changes the course of history. It’s one that impacts the lives of many. It contributes to the greater good. To put a dent in the universe, it requires the strength and favor of God.
Steve Jobs was said to have rejected Christianity at age thirteen and said he was “fifty-fifty” on God’s existence. Whether he believed in God or not, Jobs certainly put a dent in the universe. Here’s the stories of seven other dreamers. They put a dent in the universe with motives fully set on God and doing his will.
A God-sized dream, one that’s bold and foolish, has the ability to put a dent in the universe. It’s one that changes the course of history. It’s one that impacts the lives of many. It contributes to the greater good. To put a dent in the universe, it requires the strength and favor of God.
Profiles of Dreamers Who Put a Dent in the Universe
The Dreamer: Nelson Mandela
The Dent: Mandela was a champion for human rights and freedom. He spent 27 years in prison for trying to overthrow the pro-apartheid government and South Africa. After he left prison, he rose to become the first black President of South Africa. He the worked to achieve human rights and a better future for everyone in South Africa.
How They Dented: “Until I changed myself, I could not change others.” This mantra was one of Mandela’s well-known statements, the refrain of which can be traced directly to the Christian concept of being born again as a new creation. Mandela learned that people ultimately have to learn to hate – it is not born innate. And because of that, he believed they could likewise learn to love (Nelson Mandela and his Faith).
The Dreamer: Mahatma Gandhi
The Dent: Gandhi led India’s independence movement in the 1930s and 40s by passively facing down British colonialists through speeches and non-violent protest.
How They Dented: Gandhi recognized the presence of God in all things and was committed to prayer. He is quoted as of saying: “Prayer is the very soul and essence of religion, and therefore, prayer must be the very core of the life of man, for no man can live without religion” (Mani Bhavan Gandhi Sangrahalaya)
The Dreamer: Mother Teresa
The Dent: At age 36, she dedicated her whole life to helping the poor, sick, needy, and helpless individuals. Other women later joined her efforts, and she formed the Missionaries of Charity. There are now thousands of nuns who act as ministers of mercy to countless sick and helpless individuals.
How They Dented: She never said no to God, even in the midst of her darkest and most doubting moments. (Catholic Faith Store)
The Dreamer: William Booth
The Dent: The Methodist minister, William Booth founded the Salvation Army as the East London Christian Mission to seek salvation for London’s poorest residents. He found that ministering to them also meant battling cultural decay. So, they changed the ministry name to the Salvation Army. They also developed a program designed to move downtrodden men and women into lives of Christ-honoring productivity.
How They Dented: He sought restoration for those that the rest of the world for non-restorable (Bible Mesh).
The Dreamer: Corrie Ten Boom
The Dent: Along with her father and some other family members, Corrie Ten Boom helped Jews escape the World War II Nazi Holocaust. She was arrested and put into a concentration camp for her actions. Her book, The Hiding Place, describes the ordeal.
How They Dented: She trusted God to lead her (Crosswalk.com).
The Dreamer: Nehemiah
The Dent: As cup-bearer to the King Artaxerxes I, upon learning that the walls of Jerusalem were broken down, he returned to rebuild the city. His courage, focus and leadership led to completion in 52 days. As governor, he didn’t indulge in the excesses of his position. In addition to that, he encouraged nobles and officials to forgive debts so people could feed themselves and families.
How They Dented: Nehemiah was guided by a sense of urgency to do God’s will (Life, Hope & Will).
The Dreamer: Harriet Beecher Stowe
The Dent: The anti-slavery argument, Uncle Tom’s Cabin was published as a magazine serial. Later, it was published as a book in 1852. Her work educated the United States about the horrors of slavery and had an influence on Abraham Lincoln’s election as well as the Civil War.
How They Dented: She envisioned a Christian America that was unified by the strong embracing of Scripture. (Christianity Today).