Monday, November 15, 2010

THINK ABOUT YOUR INFLUENCE

Everyone has some influence. You have people around you, your family, your friends, your co-workers, your ministry team. And you are influencing them in some way.

I’ve just experienced another milestone in life with the birth of our first grandchild this past Saturday. I’ve officially become a granddad to a beautiful little granddaughter. As I held her thoughts crossed my mind of what her life will be like. What will be her personality? What joys will she experience in life? What sorrows will she go through? When will she accept Christ into her life? What events will impact her life? Her life will be full.

The issue that comes to my mind is the opportunity to influence her, to help her navigate through all that her life will bring. Granted, her parents will be the most influential in her life. But I also realize that we grandparents will have an influence too.

None of us go through life without creating some kind of influence. In every relationship you are an influence. The big question is “What kind of influence are we?” What direction are we leading people? Where are you taking others? Where is your influence steering people?

Since God’s purpose for each of us is to make more devoted followers of Christ and to facilitate their maturity so that they become more and more like Christ, and consequently experience a fulfilling life, we must take into account our influence and let God shape it to be useful in His hands.

God lists some qualities in His Word in 1 Timothy chapters 3 and 4 that we can aspire to in order to be a good influence.

The list includes:

• Good reputation.
• Honorable marriage.
• Self-controlled.
• Respectable.
• Live wisely.
• Friendly.
• Able to teach God’s truths.
• Not controlled by substance abuse.
• Not quarrelsome.
• Gentle.
• Promotes peace, not opposition.
• The love of money doesn’t rule your life.
• Manages your family well.
• Growing as a follower of Christ.
• Faithful to point out God’s truth to others.
• Take an objective look at yourself to see what others see.

We’ve got to think about how we are perceived by others. That will then lead us to not do anything that would keep others from coming to Christ or growing in Him, but do those things that would encourage them to follow Christ. The Bible says in 2 Cor. 8:21 For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of men.

We can take our cue from what Paul tells Timothy:
1 Tim. 4:7 (NLT) Spend your time and energy in training yourself for spiritual fitness.
1 Tim. 4:15 (Mes) Cultivate these things. Immerse yourself in them. The people will all see you mature right before their eyes!

We can develop an influence that is good and right in the eyes of the Lord that will be good and right in the eyes of others. Or to put it another way – Do what’s right in your own life and you’ll rightly influence others.

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