2021-05-24
Galatians 5:22 NIV
Whether we realise it or not, we all have influence over somebody. It’s what we do with our influence that determines whether it’s negative or positive. Some sociologists theorise that even the shyest and most introverted person will influence about ten thousand people over their lifetime. Every interaction we have with another person either enriches or impoverishes them. Influence is never neutral.
It’s important that we try to be aware of the influence we’re having, so we’re not leading others towards things that are harmful or ungodly. The Bible says, ‘The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, [and] self-control’ (Galatians 5:22-23 NASB). We need to try and develop those qualities, then we’re better equipped to be a good influence on everyone we interact with.
The bad news is that it’s not easy to live up to all these qualities all the time, but the good news is that it’s possible when we’re under the influence of God’s Spirit. Salvation is our starting point, but we need to spend time each day under the influence of Jesus; otherwise we’ll stay in one place without moving or growing. We won’t mature, we won’t maximise the spiritual gifts He’s given us, and we won’t discover and fulfil our God-given assignments in life. And we need to let God’s influence on us shine through every conversation, every thought, every action, and every word, so that others can be positively influenced through us.
1 Ki 8-9; Mark 11:1-11; Ps 47; Prov 12:4-6
2021-05-23
Acts 4:13 NIV
Being ‘under the influence’ of something means to be controlled by something or someone other than yourself. Our family and friends, the books we read, and the social media accounts we follow all have an influence on us and help shape who we are today. It works like this: the people who speak into our lives influence our thinking, our thinking influences our actions, our actions influence our character, and our character determines our destiny.
We can be influenced by others without being aware of their power over us – hopefully they’re having a good influence on us, but they could be having a bad influence – so it’s important that we’re mindful of who and what we’re surrounding ourselves with.
The best influencer we can have is Jesus. We need to allow Him to speak into our hearts and minds by reading the Bible and spending time in prayer. The more time we spend with Him, the more we’ll become like Him.
When the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, they were transformed to the extent that some people thought they were drunk. But Peter said: ‘These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: “In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people”‘ (Acts 2:15-17 NIV). Two chapters later, we read this: ‘When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realised that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus’ (v.13 NIVUK).
And the Holy Spirit, who is simply the influence of Christ, can transform our lives too.
Acts 1:4-8; Rom 12:1-8; 1 Cor 12:1-13
2021-05-22
Proverbs 10:7 NIV
At a funeral, there’s usually a time when people speak about the person who’s died. They often share memories and what they loved about the person. What do we want people to say and remember about us? It’s probably not going to be how much money we made, what grades we got in our exams, or the things we owned.
Our legacy should be more about how close our character was to Christ’s, how strong our faith was, the people we shared the Good News with and the positive influences we had on our communities and those around us. And we can start working towards that legacy right now.
It’s about creating a lifestyle that’s based on becoming more like Christ and living as He did. It’s about having an impact on others and using your life to glorify God. The Bible says: ‘Throw yourselves into the work of the Master, confident that nothing you do for him is a waste of time or effort’ (1 Corinthians 15:58 MSG). The work we do for God today will have an eternal legacy. It’s definitely not a waste of time.
So when we feel like we’re not making any difference or people aren’t listening when we’re telling them about Jesus, we mustn’t give up. Instead we need to keep the eternal legacy as our motivation. It isn’t about people being in awe of how great a person we were and how good a life we led; it’s about the times when God’s kingdom broke through into society because we followed God’s call to work in partnership with Him. Let’s be people who leave this kind of legacy so that others will praise God ‘from generation to generation’ (Psalm 79:13 NIV).
1 Ki 6-7; Mark 10:35-52; Ps 97; Prov 12:1-3
2021-05-21
Psalm 61:5 NLT
Job suffered a lot, and when he was about to give up, his friend Eliphaz reminded him of how he’d encouraged people in similar situations to the one he was facing: ‘In the past you have encouraged many people; you have strengthened those who were weak’ (Job 4:3 NLT).
Good words have the power to comfort, build up and create lasting relationships. But negative ones are equally powerful; untamed, our words can destroy people’s confidence and create wounds. James 3:8 says: ‘No human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison’ (NIV). We need to put thought into everything that we say, because our words, both positive and negative, can have a lasting effect on those who hear them.
We might not think of our words being an inheritance, but what we say can make a difference in someone’s life for years to come. We’ve probably all experienced this in some way. Does a harsh word from years ago ever replay in your mind? Or is there an inspiring phrase that you once read somewhere that helps you keep going when you’re facing a difficult task?
We might think that the things we say don’t have any real power or wisdom in them, but we never know what lasting impact they might have on someone. What we should want to do is encourage people. More than anything, our words should remind them of who God says they are. Let’s think of our words as a legacy, with the potential to still be having an impact years down the line.
1 Ki 3-5; Mark 10:23-34; Ps 93; Prov 11:30-31
2021-05-20
Proverbs 13:22 NIV
When we hear the word ‘legacy’, we tend to think of being left a sum of money in someone’s will. But a legacy doesn’t have to involve someone’s death. For example, when a business leader retires, or the leader of a country steps down, people might say they’re leaving behind a legacy for those who’ll follow them in that position.
Think about somewhere you’ve left, such as school, university, or a job. How would you like to be remembered by the people who are still there? What do you want their lasting impression of you to be? We would probably all choose to be remembered in a good, positive way. So how can we go about leaving a good legacy behind us, wherever we go?
The first thing we should do is to keep focused on God and allow Him to guide us in what we’re doing. ‘The LORD says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you’ (Psalm 32:8 NLT). When we’re following God’s leading, we can be sure that we’re doing the right thing. It’s easy for us to wander away from God’s path though, so it’s very important that we talk to Him regularly and check that we’re still in line with His will.
The second thing to remember is to always ‘work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people’ (Colossians 3:23 NLT). When we’re aiming to serve God through everything we do, we’ll have a much better attitude when faced with boring or unpleasant tasks. People will notice our attitude and remember it. And that might just encourage them to discover God for themselves.
1 Ki 1-2; Mark 10:13-22; Ps 88:9b-18; Prov 11:27-29
2021-05-19
Proverbs 28:13 NCV
The Bible says, ‘If you hide your sins, you will not succeed. If you confess and reject them, you will receive mercy.’ The ability to accept responsibility is a sign of character and maturity. More importantly, God can’t restore us until we acknowledge and turn away from our sin. Nowhere in Scripture does God excuse our sin because of someone else’s behaviour. The Bible says He will ‘repay all people as their actions deserve’ (Proverbs 24:12 NLT).
If we constantly blame other people for the way we’ve acted or the things we’ve done, we’ll never reach a place of honest responsibility – and that’s where real change begins. Blaming others doesn’t change things. When we blame someone else, all it really achieves is to make others feel guilty and take the spotlight off us for a while. We might blame others in order to avoid facing the truth about ourselves. But Jesus said that ‘the truth will set you free’ (John 8:32 NIV).
Taking responsibility by admitting we’re wrong or at fault can be very uncomfortable at first, but it’s something we need to do if we want to experience real freedom. We don’t need to confess to other people, although there are times when it’s helpful to admit our wrongdoing to someone we trust, if it’s appropriate. But we must confess to God.
Hiding from our mistakes doesn’t make them go away, and in fact, until we’re willing to face them, we’ll keep having problems. That’s not how God designed us to live. So we need to be honest with God, and let Him help us correct the things in our lives that are out of order.
Heb 11:17-13:25; Mark 10:1-12; Ps 88:1-9a; Prov 11:24-26
