Meant for Influence

 

“Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world,” 1 John 4:4

Have you ever struggled with thoughts of inadequacy? Maybe you have thought that what you do or who you really are doesn’t make that much of a difference in the grand scheme of things, as if your contribution really wouldn’t be noticed regardless?

Oh, how I loathe thoughts such as these, and I am here to tell you that nothing could be further from the truth.

Lies like these make people underestimate themselves and the talents and/or gifts that God has placed in them. And that, my friends, is a feeling God never intended for His people to have.  As a matter of fact, Jesus taught the exact opposite.  He compared His followers to the salt that brings good flavor to this nasty-tasting world.  Matthew 5:13 says, “Ye are the salt of the earth!”  If you are in Him, you have some flavor to offer.

You are here to make an impact.  You are here to stand out from the crowd.  To be noticed, so that the whole world will have a beacon of hope, seeing, that if God did it for them, He’ll do it for me also.  Daily, what you do in your life can affect others around you.  You have power working on the inside of you that was meant for influence.  Your actions, and the way you think, matched up with the gift of God at work in you, were meant to effect change for someone else.

Sadly, too many slide to the side of self-pity, not understanding and believing enough in who God says they are and what they have to offer.

But I am here to tell you, and the Bible confirms that “Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world,” (1 John 4:4).  When we were adopted into the family of God there was a certain degree of unexplainable spiritual awesomeness that He planted inside us.  He has Himself at work in you!

What?!

Yes!

Just put up a “God at work” sign and tell all the skeptics to move out of your way because greatness is going on in me and I can make a difference!

The only one that can really stop you from doling out your influence on this world is you.  You must believe in the power of God at work in you: “What is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in heavenly places,” (Eph. 1:19-20, NKJV).  The same power that raised Christ from the dead is now at work in you.  It’s there and  He wants to use it to work some greatness out in this world.  If you were the salt shaker that only flavored one person’s life, then you have changed that person forever.  God can do so much more through you.  All you have to do is believe more in who you are in Him and who He is in you.

You can make an impact. You are meant to influence.  Imagine if each of us, with the power of God in us, could touch just one life.  What would that do to the national or global landscape?  Now, imagine if we could touch one life every year, or more. Impact!  He Who is at work in you is greater than all.  All you have to do is believe it more than you do other thoughts that try to convince you otherwise.

“It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me,” (Gal. 2:20, NKJV)

Text Free Image by Evgeni Tcherkasski from Pixabay

Do Your Best | Motivation Monday

“And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men.” Colossians 3:23

In Matthew 25 there is the parable of the talents. Some were productive and some were not. The ones who were, the master blessed with even more. The one that wasn’t lost everything.

We only get out of this life what we put into it. “But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully,” (2 Corinthians 9:6). I believe this principle can apply to every area of our lives.

Too many are looking for blessings without putting their best foot forward. Thomas Edison said, “Opportunity is missed by most people because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work.”

God honors the persistence and diligence of those who work to put their best foot forward: “For the labourer is worthy of his hire” (Luke 10:7). He rewards those that do their best. Whether in the parable of the talents or in Colossians 3:23, when we do our best, heartily, and bountifully, we can look forward to reaping the best.

If you don’t like what you have been reaping, check to see what you have been sowing. Have we been half-stepping or given it our all, “as for the Lord?”

Life can be overwhelming sometimes. Ask God to help you with your daily schedule and the work you must do and DO YOUR BEST TODAY! Don’t let your talents go to waste!

Text Free Photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels.com

“Do It with Passion!”

 

There is one thing that really gets me going and that is seeing someone work their gift or talent with passion.  Oh, I have seen people operate in the blessings of the Lord with dryness and being very dispassionate about what they were doing, and can I tell you, there is no comparison.

Talent, skill and position can only carry you so far in life because if what you are working in is not a drawing force eventually people will stop paying attention to you; eventually people will become just as dispassionate about what you are trying to put forth.  John Maxwell said,

“A great leader’s courage to fulfill his vision comes from passion, not position.”

I agree wholeheartedly.  People want to follow one that gets their soul stirred up.  People want to walk the same course as one who is set ablaze for a cause; who is consumed with a yearning to get things done and to excel to be all that God has called them to be.

That word consumes gives the idea of allowing oneself to be spent for the cause.  John 2:17 spoke of Jesus in this sense when it says, “And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house has eaten me up.”  Other versions actually use the word “consume,” (see also Psalm 69:9).  This was said after He overthrew the tables in the temple.  His passion for God’s house stirred inside of Him and would not allow Him to pass by and watch what was going on without saying or doing something about it.  Jesus spent Himself for the cause of God.

In Psalm 119:139 also talks of being taken over with passion.  “My zeal hath consumed me, because mine enemies have forgotten thy words.”  The cause of God was so alive in him that the psalmist couldn’t help but to be cut to the heart when others would come against His word.

Where the Spirit of God operates there can be no dull or dry commitment.  It’s all the way or nothing at all.  There has to be fervency, (Rom. 12:11).  One has to be on fire with and for what God has placed on the inside of them.

“It is the Spirit who gives life,” (John 6:63, NASB).  There is no deadness when the Spirit of God is in full operation and if you are passionate about what God has given you, you should be Spirit-led, Spirit-full, and Spirit-alive!  You should be on fire with passion!

Ecclesiastes 9:10 says, “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might.”  Put your all into it!  Let what God has placed on the inside of you bubble up and boil over to the outside that men “may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven,” (Mt. 5:16).  The things you do may or may not gain attention but the things you do with passion draws people closer to Him.  God gets the glory when people see what He is doing through you and they want to be a part of it.

Live life passionately.  Live life like the Spirit of God is alive in you; live life on fire for Him.  If you are going to sing, let your voice ring out with a burning love till it reaches the souls of others drawing them in.  If you play the drums then beat them like the heart of God beats in you.  If you are going to write, write that your words are felt more than they are read.  If you are going to preach, preach as if the cloud from the glory of the Lord has already filled the temple beckoning men to take notice of His presence.  The same is true for any gift or talent God has placed in you.  Whatever you do, whatever your gift, whatever your skill do it with passion!

I don’t know if God is calling you to overthrow some tables but I do know that He is calling you to operate like He’s alive in you.  He’s calling you to use your might and be passionate about what He has given you!

Be blessed.

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“You, my friend, are the soil to His good gift and it must grow.”

 

Photo: Pixabay/Pexels

Here’s the thing, I had nothing to write about.  No particular topic jumped out at me or piqued my interest.  All I know is I had nothing to say, but the urge in me to write wouldn’t let go.  I wanted to write something…

With the dawning of that thought I realized when God puts a gift, a seed of talent in you, whether you feel particularly inspired or not, the gift in you demands to be heard, noticed, and shared with the world.

It’s just like that.  In each of us there dwell the possibilities that He knows you can do something with it.  This is God we are talking about.  He knows our downsitting and our uprising.  He knows our thoughts afar off (Psalm 139:2), and He most definitely knows what dwells in your innermost being because He placed it there.

You, my friend, are the soil to His good gift and it must grow.  It demands it.  It wants to poke its head through the surface that has been keeping it dark and hidden to experience the day with the sun shining on it.  Staying buried, it dies and becomes unprofitable.  Allowed to break through, it becomes more than you ever dreamed it could be.  It flowers.  From that flower comes more seed that will produce more offspring, if you will, of the same gift.

Don’t let moments of the uninspired make you believe you have nothing there.  It’s in you!  Let it grow!  Therefore, I write…

What passion is burning inside from the gift He placed in you?  What will you do with it?  Let it grow and watch the possibilities come to life.

“Neglect not the gift that is in thee…” 1 Timothy 4:14

“… Stir up the gift of God, which is in thee… For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:6-7

 

 

“Do It with Passion!”

 

There is one thing that really gets me going and that is seeing someone work their gift or talent with passion.  Oh, I have seen people operate in the blessings of the Lord with dryness and being very dispassionate about what they were doing, and can I tell you, there is no comparison.

Talent, skill and position can only carry you so far in life because if what you are working in is not a drawing force eventually people will stop paying attention to you; eventually, people will become just as dispassionate about what you are trying to put forth.  John Maxwell said, “A great leader’s courage to fulfill his vision comes from passion, not position.”

I agree wholeheartedly.  People want to follow one that gets their soul stirred up.  People want to walk the same course as one who is set ablaze for a cause; who is consumed with a yearning to get things done and to excel to be all that God has called them to be.

That word consumes gives the idea of allowing oneself to be spent for the cause.  John 2:17 spoke of Jesus in this sense when it says, “And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house has eaten me up.”  Other versions actually use the word “consume,” (see also Psalm 69:9).  This was said after He overthrew the tables in the temple.  His passion for God’s house stirred inside of Him and would not allow Him to pass by and watch what was going on without saying or doing something about it.  Jesus spent Himself for the cause of God.

In Psalm 119:139 also talks about being taken over with passion.  “My zeal hath consumed me, because mine enemies have forgotten thy words.”  The cause of God was so alive in him that the psalmist couldn’t help but be cut to the heart when others would come against His word.

Where the Spirit of God operates there can be no dull or dry commitment.  It’s all the way or nothing at all.  There has to be fervency, (Rom. 12:11).  One has to be on fire with and for what God has placed on the inside of them.

“It is the Spirit who gives life,” (John 6:63, NASB).  There is no deadness when the Spirit of God is in full operation and if you are passionate about what God has given you, you should be Spirit-led, Spirit-full, and Spirit-alive!  You should be on fire with passion!

Ecclesiastes 9:10 says, “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might.”  Put your all into it!  Let what God has placed on the inside of you bubble up and boil over to the outside that men “may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven,” (Mt. 5:16).  The things you do may or may not gain attention but the things you do with passion draws people closer to Him.  God gets the glory when people see what He is doing through you and they want to be a part of it.

Live life passionately.  Live life like the Spirit of God is alive in you; live life on fire for Him.  If you are going to sing, let your voice ring out with a burning love till it reaches the souls of others drawing them in.  If you play the drums then beat them like the heart of God beats in you.  If you are going to write, write that your words are felt more than they are read.  If you are going to preach, preach as if the cloud from the glory of the Lord has already filled the temple beckoning men to take notice of His presence.  The same is true for any gift or talent God has placed in you.  Whatever you do, whatever your gift, whatever your skill do it with passion!

I don’t know if God is calling you to overthrow some tables but I do know that He is calling you to operate like He’s alive in you.  He’s calling you to use your might and be passionate about what He has given you!

Be blessed.

“Do It with Passion!”

There is one thing that really gets me going and that is seeing someone work their gift or talent with passion.  Oh, I have seen people operate in the blessings of the Lord with dryness and being very dispassionate about what they were doing, and can I tell you, there is no comparison.

Talent, skill and position can only carry you so far in life because if what you are working in is not a drawing force eventually people will stop paying attention to you; eventually people will become just as dispassionate about what you are trying to put forth.  John Maxwell said,

“A great leader’s courage to fulfill his vision comes from passion, not position.”

I agree wholeheartedly.  People want to follow one that gets their soul stirred up.  People want to walk the same course as one who is set ablaze for a cause; who is consumed with a yearning to get things done and to excel to be all that God has called them to be.

That word consumes gives the idea of allowing oneself to be spent for the cause.  John 2:17 spoke of Jesus in this sense when it says, “And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house has eaten me up.”  Other versions actually use the word “consume,” (see also Psalm 69:9).  This was said after He overthrew the tables in the temple.  His passion for God’s house stirred inside of Him and would not allow Him to pass by and watch what was going on without saying or doing something about it.  Jesus spent Himself for the cause of God.

In Psalm 119:139 also talks of being taken over with passion.  “My zeal hath consumed me, because mine enemies have forgotten thy words.”  The cause of God was so alive in him that the psalmist couldn’t help but to be cut to the heart when others would come against His word.

Where the Spirit of God operates there can be no dull or dry commitment.  It’s all the way or nothing at all.  There has to be fervency, (Rom. 12:11).  One has to be on fire with and for what God has placed on the inside of them.

“It is the Spirit who gives life,” (John 6:63, NASB).  There is no deadness when the Spirit of God is in full operation and if you are passionate about what God has given you, you should be Spirit-led, Spirit-full, and Spirit-alive!  You should be on fire with passion!

Ecclesiastes 9:10 says, “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might.”  Put your all into it!  Let what God has placed on the inside of you bubble up and boil over to the outside that men “may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven,” (Mt. 5:16).  The things you do may or may not gain attention but the things you do with passion draws people closer to Him.  God gets the glory when people see what He is doing through you and they want to be a part of it.

Live life passionately.  Live life like the Spirit of God is alive in you; live life on fire for Him.  If you are going to sing, let your voice ring out with a burning love till it reaches the souls of others drawing them in.  If you play the drums then beat them like the heart of God beats in you.  If you are going to write, write that your words are felt more than they are read.  If you are going to preach, preach as if the cloud from the glory of the Lord has already filled the temple beckoning men to take notice of His presence.  The same is true for any gift or talent God has placed in you.  Whatever you do, whatever your gift, whatever your skill do it with passion!

I don’t know if God is calling you to overthrow some tables but I do know that He is calling you to operate like He’s alive in you.  He’s calling you to use your might and be passionate about what He has given you!

Be blessed.