“Did I live the truth to the ones I love?
Was my life the proof that there is only One?
Whose Name will last forever.”(from Only Jesus by Casting Crowns)
The lyrics fill the car as I drive, bringing to mind the thought I have been mulling for a few days – Our lives influence others.
Influence is “the capacity or power of persons or things to be a compelling force on or produce effects on the actions, behavior, opinions, etc., of others†(from dictionary.com).Â
As parents we have hopes of impacting our families in a a positive and godly fashion.
I am the third generation of believers in our family. My Gram, an Italian immigrant, found Jesus and blazed the way, and lived a life of belief and faith. Mom was next, following in Gram’s footsteps of faith, imparted to us godly principles by which to live and honor God. It’s my turn now and I desire to run this relay race of faith, passing the baton to my children and grandchildren.
When my family observes my life, do they see a strong belief in God – the One Who does the impossible and blesses His children in unexpected and delightful ways?
In his book, The 5 Levels of Leadership, John Maxwell shares:
“If you can develop solid relationships with people and you can produce, you can be an effective leader.
Productive leaders are an example to the people they lead, and their productivity sets the standard for the team. President Abraham Lincoln recognized this. During the American Civil War, the president relieved General John C. Fremont of his command. He said it was for this reason: “His cardinal mistake is that he isolates himself and allows no one to see him.†Lincoln knew that leaders need to be among their people, inspiring them with their ability, letting them see what the standard should be for their performance. When leaders produce, so do their people. Productive leaders thrive on results – from themselves and the team. They show the way and others follow.
(from pages 139-140)
In a nutshell, as leaders and parents, we must live with authenticity. As others see the results and the outcome of pursuing God, they will desire to join the pursuit. Our lives should display our faith with clarity, compelling others to faith.
We need to be present and available to others. Spend time with them. Let them see our struggles, our failures, our answers to prayers and our successes. The manner in which Jesus lived His life is a perfect example.
He called the twelve – His closest followers, the disciples. He spent time with them 24/7. They ate, traveled, discussed, slept, and prayed together. He poured His life into them. They did life together. Jesus modeled for them on a daily basis exactly what discipleship should be. Why?
So that when He was gone, they would be able to carry on. They, in turn, would be able to model and mentor others. They would be successful in passing the baton.
The principle is there for us in Scripture:
“I remember your genuine faith, for you share the faith that first filled your grandmother Lois and your mother, Eunice. And I know that same faith continues strong in you.“ (2 Timothy 1:5, NLT).
From this Scripture, we can learn two things:
- We need to have a genuine faith.
- We must share our faith.
“And I, I’ve only got one life to liveI’ll let every second point to HimOnly Jesus.”
(from Only Jesus by Casting Crowns)
Father, help me to be a godly example to those around me, especially those in my own family. Thank You for the blessing of my children and my grandchildren. Allow me to live in such a way that they see Your faithfulness. As far as it depends on me, help me to point them to You in all, and above all things. Amen.
Come, sit a spell. Bring your coffee, your posts, and your thoughts. If you link up, kindly visit those who have drawn up a seat around you.
Love this Joanne. It reminds me of what CT Studd said. Only one life, twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last. I didn’t know you were Italian! Where was your grandmother from?
My grandmother was from Bari. My dad’s side was from Sicily.
And yes, thank you for sharing the quote!
How do I plan to live out my life? I think the short answer is “fully.” The long answer might be in the form of a prayer; “Lord let me use up all You have given me. Refill me as often as You need, but when You’re done, drain me once more in Your service, then bring me home. -Amen”
Such a good answer, J.D. And your prayer is one we all need to be praying. May we constantly rely on Him to fill us so we can be drained and continue to do so until He calls us home. So grateful you shared!
Present and available–what a good admonition. I’m working on it and probably will be until the end. I’ll get better about it, I know, but will remain imperfect until we’re perfected.
Natalie, I think we all will be working on it until the day He calls us home. It’s the wonder and beauty of this journey with Christ. Blessings!
What a beautiful family legacy, Joanne! And a call forward to be a vessel of love to our families and others.
Thank you, Lisa! And now it is the next generation who needs to be the example. The baton always gets passed on in this race of faith we all run.
Amen to your prayer, Joanne! May my life always point to Him! Blessings to you! xo
Thank you, Gayl, and thank you for sharing your post! I enjoyed it so much!
Fabulous post, Joanne. Our lives DO influence others, whether we intend it that way or not. We hold tremendous power in setting examples, and simply doing life together.
I am also reminded that even when we think we are having no influence or impact, we are. God uses our faithfulness in His time!
Much appreciated, Donna! You are so wise in reminding me that even when we think we have no impact, we may yet have impact in God’s time. He is faithful to tend to every seed we sow. Blessings, friend!
Lovely post Joanne, you have a rich Christian heritage indeed!
May we be examples for Jesus in whatever we do, wherever we go & to whomever crosses our path.
Blessings sweet friend, Jennifer
Oh, this is wonderful! I wasn’t raised in a believing home but am so grateful to have married a man with a faith heritage. I pray that others will see Jesus in me and that one day He will approve of the way I chose to live for Him.
Thank you for this beautiful, encouraging message.
An ideal post for the New Year, focusing our attention on how we live for the Lord and the impact it will have on others. Words to focus on every day as our feet hit the floor. Grow my relationship with the Lord, call upon Him during the day, and share the love of the Lord with those around us–especially our families.
Thank you, Joanne for hosting and for your words of wisdom.
Blessings,
Janis
Joanne, this is a wonderful post. My parents although they had faith confused me with their actions. I pray that all do points to Him ! And I like John Maxwell’s book too. Thank you!
Your final prayer is one I can echo and amen.
Joanne, I love this description of living with authentic faith: “We need to be present and available to others. Spend time with them. Let them see our struggles, our failures, our answers to prayers and our successes.” I know I fall short quite often, but I pray that I can do that with my girls for as long as I’m here. I also loved reading about the heritage of faith passed down from your Italian mom and grandmother. So fun to think about how our stories overlap in this area. 🙂