2020-06-19
Good Morning Dear Ones,
By far most of us influence others in some ways during our lifetimes on earth. Whether it is in the making of friends, or the raising of children, or in other ways; what we do and believe matters. It must be said that the raising of children is the most important job any of us will ever do. That is because the future of our society depends on this effort. And yes, there are some of us that go on to influence many people, due to their career choice and proficiency in influencing others. I have always written that society’s leaders must be held to a higher standard, because of the greater influence they have. While I write this assertion, I’m sad to say that some people gain influence and then become greedy with power and do a poor job of setting a model for others to follow. God may not react right at the time, but realize He is aware of what is going on at all times. If sinfulness goes on any length of time, He will adjudicate the situation, putting a stop to this bad behavior. RO 3: 24-26, “But by the free gift of God’s grace all are put right with Him through Christ Jesus, Who sets them free. God offered Him, so that by His blood, He should become the means by which people’s sins are forgiven through faith in Him. God did this in order to demonstrate His righteousness. In the past, He was patient and overlooked people’s sins, but now He deals with people’s sins, in order to demonstrate His righteousness. In this way God shows that He Himself is righteous and He puts right everyone who believes in Jesus.” What I’m saying here is that there is only so much sinfulness that God will tolerate, before He takes corrective action. True belief in Jesus Christ removes the desire to sin.
We should consider that the example we set may have greater influence on others than we realize. Here are some ways we can make the most of the influence we have. 1) Have a quiet and gentle spirit. It’s very difficult to be around an angry person for long. I’ve been around people like this. They are never happy with their lot in life, and everything imaginable seems to set them off. These are unhappy people who seek to make others unhappy. 2) Think before speaking or acting. This is hard for everyone, but very necessary. Who can forget the apostle James’ wise hyperbole about the tongue? JAS 3: 5b-6a, ”Just think how large a forest fire can be set by a tiny flame! And the tongue is like a fire…” Obeying this wisdom involves learned behavior. 3) Consider the consequences of decisions and choices we are making. We don’t always have time to do this, but the more we practice at thinking first through issues at hand, the better at it we will be. This idea that everything is either black or white isn’t what real life is like. There are always shades of gray in between which demand consideration before action is taken. Another way of putting it is to “do one’s homework” before making a decision, if at all possible. It’s the reason I’ve always written that we should get to know a person before witnessing to them, if possible. 4) Choose subjects that will interest your listener and include things that are of interest to him about which to speak. 5) Never nag or become repetitious to the point of annoyance. Pressuring people has never been successful in bringing them around to a different point of view. 6) Examine how you use your influence at home, church, in the workplace, community, nation, etc. Take time to see one’s relationships with God and with other people and find ways to improve them. 7) Learn ways to yield control of our lives to the Holy Spirit and put them in practice. AC 13: 50, reveals what happened when the Jews present at the talks by Paul and Barnabas whipped up persecution of the two speakers. Steps could have been taken for the audience to be more respectful of differing points of view, but they weren’t.
When Jesus sent out the 12 disciples, He gave them directions on what to do. LK 9: 4-5, “Where you are welcomed, stay in that same house until you leave the town. When you are not welcomed, leave that town, shaking the dust off your sandals as a warning to them.” The most surprising instruction Christ gave was for them not to take a beggar’s bag, food, or money with them. Upon thought one can realize that following these instructions made their hosts feel like they are doing good deeds in supplying the disciples’ needs. The hosts had a stake in the action. If we were carrying the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to places where we didn’t live, would we follow Christ’s directions?
PRAYER: Dearest Father, we tend to be impetuous and to rush through our tasks for you without thinking. How many times family squabbles and misunderstandings get started because of our hastiness? Taking time to obey the suggestions made here doesn’t come naturally to us. So very much of Your advice and teaching is designed to help us avoid trouble. The quality of our lives and friendships can be so much better when we think first and then act. There are times when we don’t understand Your advice or see the advantages of taking it. When we realize that even a good leader like Peter became in the second part of his life could deny Christ three times, we must see how easy it is to act without thinking first. We have a lot to learn from the experiences of the people in the Bible, which is a good reason to spend every day in our lives studying it. The reason that Biblical truth is good for us to know is found in 2 TIM 3: 16-17. “All Scripture is God-breathed and useful in teaching the truth, rebuking error, correcting faults, and instruction for right living, so that the person who serves God may be fully equipped to do every kind of good deed.” We offer You praise and thanks for bringing motivation for us to serve You and for gifting us with the skill sets to honor You. How can we not praise You for the Atonement Your Son Jesus has done on the cross and His subsequent resurrection? In Christ’s name we pray, Amen.
NEXT WEEK: When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, and this Spirit speaks to us, we find inner joy and peace. We are also better able to perform the tasks God gives us to do with His leadership. This will begin next week’s devotion.
I’m finding that despite the usual aches and pains of growing older, I can still find sufficient motivation to do God’s work-to loan Him the use of my mind, hands, and time-for His purposes. When I am writing to you or teaching a class, or am knitting/crocheting items that others need, I am at peace with my Lord and comfortable with my surroundings. Recently, I have written that our society is going through a very tough time, trying to respond wisely to the Covid 19-driven need to self-quarantine. In our home, we’ve been living this way since 3-9-2020. God’s work keeps me occupied, so I have never found the four walls closing in on me. I’ve stayed in contact with friends by phone and with family by Skype. I’m relating these things not to brag about my accomplishments, but about God’s in making these things possible. I stand amazed at the fact that He led me to learn how to make conference calls, so that I can continue to teach my adult Bible study with students in three states participating. This technology originated with God when He inspired its inventors to make it available to us. We can’t take any credit for its inception, distribution, or use; it is all God’s doing [PS 115: 1]. The only thing we can take credit for is that we are willing to make use of it doing His work. Social distancing, wearing face masks, and self-quarantining are all ways to slow the transmission of the virus. Even if you are reading this devotion after all these things have gotten started or even passed, we are learning many new things that God wants us to know about, things that will protect us from this seemingly hidden danger. All too many good people have died from this virus, and all we can do is to dedicate the good work we do to their memory. And we mustn’t forget to express our gratitude to those first responders, workers in necessary occupations, and doctors/nurses who have put their lives on the line for the rest of us. Praise to our Lord for all of them!
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn
JS 24: 15
© Lynn Johnson 2020. All Rights Reserved.
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