Use Your Influence for Good

Today’s word of encouragement comes from Rick Warren’s Monday Encouragement, which is part of the Pastors.com ministry, whose passion is driven by the desire to see healthy pastors leading healthy churches.

Pastors.com is a place for Christian leaders to connect, so they have put together a flowing stream of content to nourish and enrich the lives and leadership of Pastors worldwide. They’ve also created a dynamic community where church leaders can draw encouragement and wisdom from one another.

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Everything you have is a gift from God. God has given you your family, your health, your ministry, and even your freedom.

If God didn’t give you the ability to work for what you have, you wouldn’t have anything, and He expects you to be a good steward of everything He has given, including your influence. He wants you to use your influence to help others.

What is influence? It’s not fame. You can be famous and not influential. Many people know celebrities, but they don’t care what they think. It’s also not wealth. You can’t buy influence.

The Cambridge Dictionary defines influence as the power “to affect how someone or something develops, behaves, or thinks.” God expects you to use that kind of influence for good.

How can you do that? Start with these three steps.

1. Recognize your influence.

Everyone has influence. You’re likely aware of some of your own influence at church and at home.

Yet you might not be aware of all the influence you have. You influence everyone you come into contact with, such as your relatives, neighbors, and even casual acquaintances.

When you go into a store, you can make or break the cashier’s day by what you say and do. The same is true for mail carriers, ushers, and salespeople you meet as you go about your day.

You either influence people for Christ or against Christ all the time.

God calls us to be good stewards of every kind of influence we have.

Paul writes, “Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that”

Galatians 6:4 (The Message).

Until you can clearly see the influence you already have, you can’t begin to wield and maximize your influence for good.

2. Exercise your influence.

Our lives would have much more influence if we’d become more intentional in how we use it. Your influence is like a muscle. You’ll either use it or lose it.

These five actions can help you use your influence and slowly grow it. They start small with simple actions and progress to more difficult actions. The final one may even cost you your life one day. The more effort you put in, the greater your influence will be. 

• Smile at people.

Anyone can do this. Smiling has an incredible impact on the people in your life. When you smile at someone, they smile at you. That means you’ve influenced them and affected their day.

• Sympathize with people.

Show emotional support, encouragement, and care in people’s lives. When you show people you care, you open the door for influence within their life.

• Serve people. 

God’s economy says the greater you serve someone, the greater influence you have on them. Serving people takes effort because you can’t do it from a distance.

• Speak up.

Psalm 107:2 reminds us, “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so” (King James Version). To influence others, you can’t be afraid of talking openly about your relationship with Christ.

• Sacrifice. 

You can’t live a comfortable life if you want to have influence. You’ll need to make sacrifices to influence the world. While this can mean huge, life-altering sacrifices, it often means everyday sacrifices in the normal activities of life.

3. Maximize your influence.

Do your best to develop and expand your influence. At first, that might seem arrogant, but you aren’t expanding your influence for your own sake. God himself tells us to maximize our influence.

The Bible says, “Make good use of every opportunity you have, because these are evil days” Ephesians 5:16 (Good News Translation).

Instead of being selfish, you’re expanding your influence for Jesus’ sake. That’s the only reason you’re on earth. Otherwise, He’d take you straight to heaven when you get saved.

You only have two legitimate reasons to expand your influence—to help people and to share Christ with others. Any other reason is selfishness.

After I wrote The Purpose Driven Life, I started getting more attention. I never wanted to become a celebrity, so I began praying: “Lord, what do you want me to do with this influence?”

That’s when God brought Psalm 72 to my mind. Solomon prayed this when he was the wealthiest and wisest person in the world. It sounds arrogant for him to then pray for more power and influence. But Solomon’s prayer is anything but selfish.

Notice what Solomon wants to do with his influence. He wants to help society’s most vulnerable. He prays, “He will help the poor when they cry out and will save the needy when no one else will help. He will be kind to the weak and poor, and he will save their lives” Psalm 72:12-13 (New Century Version).

God expects us to use the influence He has given us to speak up for those who can’t speak up for themselves.

You might not think you have much influence right now. You feel you’re serving in the middle of nowhere and your impact is limited.

That couldn’t be further from the truth. Remember, the story of Moses. He was an ordinary shepherd on the backside of the desert. But when God told him to give up his staff – the source of his identity, income, and influence as a shepherd – Moses obeyed.

Throughout the rest of Moses’ life God used that same staff to do miracles, like turning the water of the Nile into blood and splitting the Red Sea.

Moses gave what little he had to God, so that he could influence the world for good and for God. The world was never the same again.

Are you ready to lay down everything to use your influence for God?

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All of us to some degree have an influence in the lives of others and Henry Cloud has recognised that we each “have a responsibility to [use it for the benefit of those that we come in contact with so that they can] be the best possible people they can be.” Whether we are aware of it or not – we are either inspiring other people to be better, or not.

What do you bring to the room?

The Inspiration Test can help you discover what happens when you enter the room, whether you mostly breathe hope, capacity, or resilience into the lives of others, and how you can become a more inspired and inspiring person.

From the test an inspiration profile is created that sheds light onto the ways that you uniquely influence the people around you. Bringing your attention to the very real positive impact you can have on others through your personal inspiration strength.

If you’d like to find out more about the Inspiration Test and the coaching process drop me a line via email, make an enquiry here, or leave a comment below – I’d be more than willing to let you know what is involved and relevant costs etc. 🙂

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Is your Discipleship Strategy Effective?

Carey Nieuwhof recently asked;
“How do you know whether your discipleship strategy is effective – whether it’s producing followers of Jesus who are maturing?”

Carey then goes on to write that Jesus gave us the test that defines discipleship exceptionally well.

He simply said: “By their fruit you will recognize them.” 
Matthew 7:16-20 (New International Version)

In other words, look at someone’s life for the proof, for the evidence, that they are growing and maturing in the faith, and that they’re developing the “fruit” in their lives.

The apostle Paul helps to define what the “fruit” is in Galatians 5:22-23, “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (New International Version)

When we exhibit these things in our lives we are “living God’s way” and I just love how the Message puts it; “He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.” Galatians 5:22-23

The leadership challenge though is that when we look at the people who are following Christ in our Corps / churches and ask ourselves:

Are the above characteristics shown in the lives of those within our congregation?

We often find that we have some work to do in our discipleship strategy.

Because unfortunately it’s not producing the kind of fruit of Holy Spirit in the lives of our people that we would like to see, or read in the Scriptures.

The apostle Paul when writing to the church of Corinth says that “all of us… show the shining-greatness of the Lord as in a mirror. All the time we are being changed to look like Him, with more and more of His shining-greatness. This change is from the Lord Who is the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:18 (New Life Version)

“…Our lives [should] gradually become brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him.” (refer to The Message)

The thing is, this kind of transformation of a person happens in the depths of our heart and soul.

It is more than what anyone can see or feel. It’s a mysterious, complex process that God initiates and sustains as a gift.

And we can’t set perfection as our standard because we live on this side of heaven.

Will everyone who claims to be following Jesus ‘get there’? No! Will everyone stick around? Nope, we’ll lose a few. But should we be more like Jesus than they were say a few years ago? Absolutely!

And that’s the point, if our discipleship strategy is truly effective then our character and our heart should be being re-shaped by the Holy Spirit, our lives should be being transformed and the fruits of the Spirit should be becoming more evident in our lives.

Discipleship is not a one class / course thing, it is a life-long process. God isn’t done shaping you until you’re dead. And even then, he still has plans for you.

Now, earlier this year I was privileged to be involved with some Natural Character Development (NCD) Inspiration Coaching, which forms a part of the 3 Colour Discipleship Series.

I’m now able to include other aspects of the series such as:

• The 3 Colours of Your Spirituality, which helps people understand and embrace the most natural way they connect with God.
• The Inspiration Test which helps you discover what happens when you enter a room, for every moment of your life you are either inspiring people by bringing life or not so much.
• The 3 Colours of Leadership, which looks to address where your power is going and whether you’re empowering or disempowering those around you in your everyday life.
• The Fruit of the Spirit Test which helps you identify the expressions of the fruit that are more evident in your life, as every moment of every day you are exhibiting aspects of God’s love and reflecting it to those around you.
• The 3 Colours of Community, which looks to address how well you play with others and if you are building community or tearing it down.
• The Stewardship Test which explores how well you are using your time, talent and treasure, as every moment of your life you are using what you have to make things better or not so much.
• The 3 Colours of Your Gifts, which will help reveal the realm of life transformation to which your gifts primarily relate – developing, sharing, or renewing.

If you would like any further information about how you can incorporate any of the above into a discipleship strategy and the coaching process, then please drop me a line via email or leave a comment below – I’d be more than willing to let you know about what’s involved and the costs etc. 🙂

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Influence

Every now and again on my blog I share poems by John Roedel that I’ve come across on facebook that resonate with me on a number of levels.

For me the below poem connects with the notion of influence! Influence is something that we each have in the lives of those that we come in contact with, each and every day.

Sometimes it can be good, pleasant and life-giving, and sometimes… not quite as much.

Every person that has ever inspired you will have carried a powerful mixture of hope, capacity and resilience. And your encounter with them will have made you, to some level, more hopeful, more capable, or more resilient.

That’s the life-changing practical reality of inspiration!

The thing is, as a Christian our influence, whether we realise it or not – will either point somebody towards God, or away from knowing Him altogether.

So, if you would like to know more about the kind of influence that you bring to situations, then drop me a line via email or leave a comment below, as the Natural Character Development Inspiration Test and coaching process may benefit you 🙂  

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You are somebody’s front porch to God.
You are someone’s doorway to mercy.
You are the world’s threshold to kindness.
You are my entrance to letting go of regret.

No pressure, but…

Your life is a gateway to peace
for both strangers and friends alike.

Whether you realize it or not…

Empathy has chosen you to turn your
heart into a welcome mat for the rest of us.

This is purpose of your life…

To let your existence become a candlelit
veranda of hope for the rest of us to
gather on during the long night.

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John Roedel is a comic, husband and father of three boys based in Wyoming who began talking with “God” in 2015 on Facebook about his ongoing faith crisis.

What began as a flippant way of making light of his doubts in the Divine turned into something he wasn’t at all prepared for:

God wrote back.

Since creating the popular “Hey God. Hey John.” blog on Facebook three years ago, John has tackled such topics as his journey to mental health wellness, his lack of faith, the joy and pain of raising a child with autism, and grief, all in the form of a simple conversation with God.

You can pick up a copy of John’s latest book ‘Upon Departure’, a collection of poetry that explores the concept that our grief is a natural wonder that terraforms the landscape of our world in increments, from Amazon (Australia) here.

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Inspiration

Earlier this year I wrote about some Natural Church Development (NCD) training that I’ve completed to become an Inspiration Coach.

Part of the process is taking an online Inspiration Test to help people identify ways in which they breathe the breath of God into the lives of others, and also recognise aspects of their own lives where they are in danger of draining life not only from themselves, but also the lives of others that they come in contact with.

I’ve really appreciated the coaching / mentoring interactions that I have had so far with people up and down the country, exploring aspects of their own lives and also sharing characteristics of my own life as well as experiences that I have had in life and ministry and how they are interconnected. 

Today I thought that I’d share a few inspiration quotes that have come my way in the past few months as I’ve been on this journey 🙂

There are two ways of spreading light:
to be the candle
or the mirror that reflects it.
(Edith Wharton)

By doing what you love,
you inspire and awaken the hearts of others.

Great leaders inspire greatness in others.

You don’t need to be perfect to inspire others.
Let people get inspired by how you deal with your imperfection.

In response to all he has done for us, let us consider how to inspire each other to greater love and to righteous deeds, not forgetting to gather as a community, as some have forgotten, but encouraging each other, especially as the day of His return approaches. Hebrews 10:24-25 (The Voice)

Be someone’s strength. Be someone’s inspiration. Be someone’s reason to never give up. (Thoughts Wonder)

If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader. (John Quincy Adams)

God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. Philippians 2:13 (New Living Translation)

You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make. (Jane Goodall)

 Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson

I want to inspire people. I want someone to look at me and say; “Because of you I didn’t give up.”

Always keep your eyes open. Keep watching. Because whatever you see can inspire you. (Grace Coddington)

Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love following the example of Christ. Ephesians 5:1-2a (New Living Translation)

Instead of letting your hardships and failures discourage or exhaust you, let them inspire you. (Michelle Obama) 

Inspiration isn’t something that you wait for. Inspiration is something that you pursue. (Jeff Mallett)

If you decide to go and pursue your dreams, you will give hope to others who want to do the same. You’ll potentially serve as an example and probably be their reason why they too should give it a try. You can help them, coach them, mentor them and encourage them to keep going.

If you would like to find out more about the NCD Inspiration Test and the coaching / mentoring process drop me a line via email or leave a comment below.

I’d be more than willing to let you know about the costs etc. and what is involved going forward 🙂

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NCD Inspiration Coach

Earlier this year I had the opportunity and privilege to complete some Natural Church Development (NCD) training to become a NCD Inspiration Coach, which forms a part of the 3 Color Inspiration Discipleship Series.

Taking an online Inspiration Test is part of a process that can help people to clearly see ways in which they breathe the breath of God into the lives of others and also identify aspects where they are in danger of draining life from them.

You see, as Christians we are to be bearers of the breath of God all day, every day, wherever we go, and each time people enter environments with us (be that the living room, a workplace, social or sports club or even our churches and Corps) we can’t help but change every room we enter. The only question is whether we will choose to grow ourselves so that the influence we have on those spaces is more life-giving.

What do you bring to the room?

The Inspiration Test will help you discover what happens when you enter the room, whether you mostly breathe hope, capacity, or resilience into the lives of others, and how you can become a more inspired and inspiring person.

From the test an inspiration profile is created that sheds light onto the ways that you uniquely influence the people around you. Bringing your attention to the very real positive impact you can have on others through your personal inspiration strength, your profile reveals the types of people in your life who will most benefit from the light that you bring.

Your profile will also point out and help you to better understand the area of inspiration that is a challenge for you at the moment, and is therefore your priority for growth. This growth priority is the most likely and consistent reason you will find yourself uninspired, and uninspiring to the people you spend your time with.

A further solidarity profile can be created if you and your team all take the test and can shed a light on how the team collectively influences those around you in your setting.  

This whole process has been extremely helpful not only to me in finding out what kind of inspiration I bring to the room, but also to those that I have had the privilege of coaching and connecting with over this time.

If you would like to find out more about the NCD Inspiration Test and the coaching process drop me a line via email or leave a comment below – I’d be more than willing to let you know about the costs etc. and what is involved 🙂

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