Influence: Who, what, when, where, how and why?
Another week, another adventure. That's right. I'm hoping to leave the Dallas area sometime within the next two weeks but I'm shooting for next week. I'm indecisive about where to go next. I wouldn't mind walking down the beach before I head to Michigan for Christmas. With that said I'm thinking coastal. It has been awhile since I've been to Ocean City, Maryland and I know the Sun Festival is coming soon so who 
knows. I have been wanting to see Charlotte, South Carolina for the longest time so I've considered checking it out for a week or two also. I could drive south to the Gulf in Texas and work my way across I-10 and hit LA, MS, AL and FL then work my way up the eastern seaboard. I dont know. So many things to do and so little money. : D I know one thing for sure though, Casting Crowns is on tour and I am 100% committed to seeing one of their shows. I have not heard their new album yet but their old stuff is all still new to me. I reach a level of bliss when I listen to their music. It completely engulfs me and my spirituality. Although I love music I can honestly say that there are not many bands out there that lift me up like they do. God is working thru their talent in such a way that new christians discover their faith daily while listening to Casting Crowns. I think that's just amazing that one group of people can have as much impact as they do. I aspire to have the same influence one day.
What does it take to influence people? Is there a connection between the right set of words and their desire to hear the right answer? What can I say or do that will help you? Or better yet, what can I say or do that will help you find your way into Gods arms? Do they have to be seeking the truth or are your words and actions powerful enough that they that door? It's hard for me to say. I have personally witnessed selfless actions that in turn have filled congregations with new born christians. The emotional loss of being a storm victim can be influenced in a dangerous way I think. Dangerous because if nobody is there to help them they will blame God for their losses and never consider stepping into a church as long as they live. On the other hand if a complete stranger enters their life and helps them rebuild and asks for nothing in return, it really makes them wonder why. There is a level of sacrifice that is indescribable that goes into selfless service. They see that although we do our best not to show it. But the fact is that the sacrifice was enough to make them wonder about our motivation and why we do the things we do. That's the magic of being a missionary. You can really see God working thru others in a tragic disaster. It's quite refreshing and strangely enough it's why I do what I do.
So if influence thru selfless service contributes to turning an atheist into a believer how come more people don't do it? Many claim to be Christians and claim to be born again but I believe actions speak louder than words. I don't say that to give some impression that I'm not without sin cause believe me.... I sin all the time. It's not always intentional but I'm still growing and I consider myself still a pup of a christian. I cant make decisions for other people, only for myself. While I title this blog "Adventure Book" I share with you my spiritual adventure as well. It's not just about going from one place to the next. Nobody can leave on an adventure and arrive at their destination one minute later. There is a distance to travel in between. There are experiences to be learned. It's the road less traveled that makes the adventure and adventure in the first place. It's a fantastic journey if you slow down and take a look around. Why would you want to be at the end of your journey without having an adventure along the way?
While adventuring around the world might sound appealing, I want to convey a strong message...it come with a lot of hard lessons. It comes with hardships and sorrow. It's not all fun and games as television would make things appear. But that's the best part about it. God walks with us. He tells us things will be alright. He guides us but lets us have hardships because without them we would not learn how to serve him. Without seeing other peoples sorrows how can we learn compassion? Without compassion how can we learn remorse? It's the lessons we learn that make us who we are. So when times get tough remember that. God isn't doing this TO you, he's doing this FOR you!
Do we need to go thru massive hardships to be selfless? Of coarse not! But it's in my opinion that people that have experienced them tend to have more compassion when they see strangers going thru their hardships. So believe me when I say that I have LOTS of compassion!!! LOL : D
Where is your compassion and where do your priorities lie? This week on television they showed Africa in ruins. Flooding has devastated 1000's of miles in Africa. Over 100,000 people are homeless. The story would run for all of 60 seconds and then the next 59 minutes talk about the presidential election and the Iranian President wanting to visit the twin tower site in NYC. Have we lost our minds? Over 100,000 people are HOMELESS!! I'll save my media gripes for another blog entry. But how many of you dropped everything and jumped on the phone to donate 50 bucks to the Red Cross? Fifty dollars is less than I use to spend at Starbucks in a weeks time when I worked at the Pentagon. It's not chump change but if you didn't have it it's not something that would effect you that much. They live in mud huts and drink nasty contaminated water. Do you think your bills are bad? Thank God that you have bills! My point is that we all seem to draw a line at what amount of help we can give. But where does it end? You have to wonder what Jesus would do. I think we all know the answer to that.
Because you saw the story about Africa and didn't donate doesn't make you a bad christian. I use it as one example of opportunity that we have missed. There an old wise mans theory that says "If I gave a million people each one dollar I would be broke, but if a million people each gave me one dollar I would be a millionaire". The reason why this is relevant is because it's the collective that makes the most impact. So if you think that for one second your fifty bucks wont make a difference then you are sadly mistaken. If you think you cashing in on that vacation or sick time to head to the gulf and help tear out moldy drywall for 2 weeks wont make a difference then you are again mistaken. To make a difference is to be the difference!
When you contribute and see first hand how God uses your actions to make a difference in someones life, you will have truly discover who you have to potential to be. The whole point of christianity is to lead by example much as in the way Jesus did. To influence someone thru your actions will be one of the most rewarding things you will experience in this life. And once you've done it the first time, it will change you forever. I'm not talking about giving your spare change to the homeless man standing fifty feet away from your $40,000 SUV either. I'm talking about truly getting your hands dirty. Jesus said "the way to the father is thru me". When you have that conversation with Jesus what do you want him to see? Don't just be a christian, be a good christian! Lead by example and remember influence starts somewhere. Why not let it start with you?
knows. I have been wanting to see Charlotte, South Carolina for the longest time so I've considered checking it out for a week or two also. I could drive south to the Gulf in Texas and work my way across I-10 and hit LA, MS, AL and FL then work my way up the eastern seaboard. I dont know. So many things to do and so little money. : D I know one thing for sure though, Casting Crowns is on tour and I am 100% committed to seeing one of their shows. I have not heard their new album yet but their old stuff is all still new to me. I reach a level of bliss when I listen to their music. It completely engulfs me and my spirituality. Although I love music I can honestly say that there are not many bands out there that lift me up like they do. God is working thru their talent in such a way that new christians discover their faith daily while listening to Casting Crowns. I think that's just amazing that one group of people can have as much impact as they do. I aspire to have the same influence one day.What does it take to influence people? Is there a connection between the right set of words and their desire to hear the right answer? What can I say or do that will help you? Or better yet, what can I say or do that will help you find your way into Gods arms? Do they have to be seeking the truth or are your words and actions powerful enough that they that door? It's hard for me to say. I have personally witnessed selfless actions that in turn have filled congregations with new born christians. The emotional loss of being a storm victim can be influenced in a dangerous way I think. Dangerous because if nobody is there to help them they will blame God for their losses and never consider stepping into a church as long as they live. On the other hand if a complete stranger enters their life and helps them rebuild and asks for nothing in return, it really makes them wonder why. There is a level of sacrifice that is indescribable that goes into selfless service. They see that although we do our best not to show it. But the fact is that the sacrifice was enough to make them wonder about our motivation and why we do the things we do. That's the magic of being a missionary. You can really see God working thru others in a tragic disaster. It's quite refreshing and strangely enough it's why I do what I do.
So if influence thru selfless service contributes to turning an atheist into a believer how come more people don't do it? Many claim to be Christians and claim to be born again but I believe actions speak louder than words. I don't say that to give some impression that I'm not without sin cause believe me.... I sin all the time. It's not always intentional but I'm still growing and I consider myself still a pup of a christian. I cant make decisions for other people, only for myself. While I title this blog "Adventure Book" I share with you my spiritual adventure as well. It's not just about going from one place to the next. Nobody can leave on an adventure and arrive at their destination one minute later. There is a distance to travel in between. There are experiences to be learned. It's the road less traveled that makes the adventure and adventure in the first place. It's a fantastic journey if you slow down and take a look around. Why would you want to be at the end of your journey without having an adventure along the way?
While adventuring around the world might sound appealing, I want to convey a strong message...it come with a lot of hard lessons. It comes with hardships and sorrow. It's not all fun and games as television would make things appear. But that's the best part about it. God walks with us. He tells us things will be alright. He guides us but lets us have hardships because without them we would not learn how to serve him. Without seeing other peoples sorrows how can we learn compassion? Without compassion how can we learn remorse? It's the lessons we learn that make us who we are. So when times get tough remember that. God isn't doing this TO you, he's doing this FOR you!
Do we need to go thru massive hardships to be selfless? Of coarse not! But it's in my opinion that people that have experienced them tend to have more compassion when they see strangers going thru their hardships. So believe me when I say that I have LOTS of compassion!!! LOL : D
Where is your compassion and where do your priorities lie? This week on television they showed Africa in ruins. Flooding has devastated 1000's of miles in Africa. Over 100,000 people are homeless. The story would run for all of 60 seconds and then the next 59 minutes talk about the presidential election and the Iranian President wanting to visit the twin tower site in NYC. Have we lost our minds? Over 100,000 people are HOMELESS!! I'll save my media gripes for another blog entry. But how many of you dropped everything and jumped on the phone to donate 50 bucks to the Red Cross? Fifty dollars is less than I use to spend at Starbucks in a weeks time when I worked at the Pentagon. It's not chump change but if you didn't have it it's not something that would effect you that much. They live in mud huts and drink nasty contaminated water. Do you think your bills are bad? Thank God that you have bills! My point is that we all seem to draw a line at what amount of help we can give. But where does it end? You have to wonder what Jesus would do. I think we all know the answer to that.
Because you saw the story about Africa and didn't donate doesn't make you a bad christian. I use it as one example of opportunity that we have missed. There an old wise mans theory that says "If I gave a million people each one dollar I would be broke, but if a million people each gave me one dollar I would be a millionaire". The reason why this is relevant is because it's the collective that makes the most impact. So if you think that for one second your fifty bucks wont make a difference then you are sadly mistaken. If you think you cashing in on that vacation or sick time to head to the gulf and help tear out moldy drywall for 2 weeks wont make a difference then you are again mistaken. To make a difference is to be the difference!
When you contribute and see first hand how God uses your actions to make a difference in someones life, you will have truly discover who you have to potential to be. The whole point of christianity is to lead by example much as in the way Jesus did. To influence someone thru your actions will be one of the most rewarding things you will experience in this life. And once you've done it the first time, it will change you forever. I'm not talking about giving your spare change to the homeless man standing fifty feet away from your $40,000 SUV either. I'm talking about truly getting your hands dirty. Jesus said "the way to the father is thru me". When you have that conversation with Jesus what do you want him to see? Don't just be a christian, be a good christian! Lead by example and remember influence starts somewhere. Why not let it start with you?
No comments:
Post a Comment