Be Someone Of Influence.

Be someone who makes someone else look forward to tomorrow.

As you interact with others today, ask yourself. . . What is it like being on the other side of me? How does my presence impact those around me? Are my words and countenance uplifting and encouraging or sharp and critical? Speak power and life into those you meet through words of hope. We never know the trials others have walked through. But we can encourage them to want a tomorrow. We can all be that someone for others!

Now, what does the Holy Bible Preach about Positive Influence?

Do not be deceived: evil company
corrupts good habits. Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame. - (1 Corinthians 15:33–34—NIV).

What is the lifespan of influence?
Great men have influenced an era, a generation, or an age. What is the potential lifespan of the influence of a common man? Our text implies that your influence has the potential to be eternal.

Influence is the ability to produce an effect upon others. We all go through life receiving influence from and giving influence to others.
That Apostle Paul reminds us that both good and bad influences are operating all around us.
There is much truth taught in the first verse. It is common sense that you take on the character of those with whom you chose to associate. "Evil company" is descriptive of poor choice in friends, associates, and favorite haunts. Surprisingly, most people do not evaluate the quality of friends they expose themselves to, nor do they become missional about choosing better associates.

Proverbs 13:20 states, "He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will be
destroyed.", does the words in this Scripture mean anything to you? Also, we can find out in Proverbs 22 : 24 - 25 which says, " do not make friends with a hot-tempered person, do not associate with one easily angered, or you may learn their ways and get yourself ensnared."  Poor choices in associations lead to gradual forsaking of our "good habits."

The second verse refers to the eternal influence possible for the average Christian. An average Christian to me is one who does not bear fruit. Jesus made this know in John 15: 1- 17 “ 1, I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit He prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire
and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s
commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.
12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.
13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command.
15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear
fruit, fruit that will last and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.
17 This is my command: Love
each other."

Paul challenges you to soberly awake from insensible, spiritual slumber and recognize the ignorance around you. There are people around you who spend their days burning daylight without the least thought of preparation for life after death and the eternal
consequences of unpardoned sin.
If a Christian provides the message of God’s grace offered through His Son’s death on Calvary and the Holy Spirit causes it to take root in a new convert’s heart, then that Christian has had an influence for not just an era, or a generation,
or an age, but for eternity!

Do you jealously guard your heart from evil influence that will woo you away from complete obedience to God? Are you careful in your choice of friends and associates? Have you grasped and taken ownership of your role as an influence for God upon this generation?

Are you daily begging God to use you to influence someone else to glorify God? Then ask yourself this question, Whom can I have a positive influence today? Prepare your mind for that and never look back.

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KINDNESS

"Kindness can transforme someone's dark moment with a blaze of light. You'll never know how much your caring matters. Make a difference for another today." - Amy Leigh Mercier - American Author

As you go about your business running errands today and encounter others, consider asking yourself a few questions of significance. What kind of a kindness ambassador am I? As a parent or teacher, do I look beyond the behavior of a child and ask, "What kindness can I give that speaks to this child... You matter! "

Do I spread seeds of kindness that may sprout seeds of love and light into God's Kingdom? Or are the judgmental looks and sharp words discounting the child's worth and ultimately dimming the heart's light? Do I look at the check-out clerk at the grocery store and wonder what struggles she may be facing, what are the mountains in her past, what challenges await her at home? What kind of hope may she need for today? What if the only kindness for her day was what kindness I had to offer? What would that look like? Perhaps you are the one in need of being lifted up with the blazing light of kindness. Being that light for another miraculously creates beams of kindness for all.

INSIGHT
Encourage through light and laughter! Be that blaze of light today! "Kindness can transforme someone's dark moment with a blaze of light. You'll never know how much your caring matters. Make a difference for another today." as said by the American Author is one of those tools you can use to transform the fortunes of darkness in to a blaze of Light, I will urge you to sow this seed of kindness in the life of others and as this seed begins to grow and manifest into their lifestyle, it would encourage them to continue to sow the seed of Kindness and the world will have a peaceful c-oexistence.

INSIGHT
James A. Garfield once said, there are men and women who make the world a better place just by being the kind of people they are. They have the gift of kindness or courage or loyalty or integrity. As you go through your daily life activity, notice the type of gift you exhibit and use it to bring smiles on the faces of those you come in contact with and they might show such gift to others and will enable peace to reign.

SERVE ONE ANOTHER.

Read: Mark 10:42 - 45

Christians are to serve but not to be served. We are called to the service of God to render good and quality Christian service to lost souls. With the help of the Holy Spirit we disciple and lead souls for eternal life. We also maintain our holy and righteous lifestyle for every soul we are discipling to imitate us as we are all imitating Jesus Christ. We are shepherd who
have sheep under our care and charge to tend and feed them.

Greatness in service to people does not demand pride, but humility. Our nature inherited after
Jesus Christ must be laid out to do good to all.We stoop to the nearest services and labor in the hardest services. We must always prefer others better than us and seek to encourage them if they are weak.
Those useful now to the LORD in service shall be the most honored in the future Kingdom to come. As Christ had loved us not based on conditions, He came as our servant and offered Himself as a lamb for our salvation. Jesus even went the extre mile by washing the feets of His disciples. As we have Jesus Christ as our example, we should also love and serve others to the point where the world will even say to us “you a fool to do this”.

INSIGHT: Fools in the sight of men are wise in the sight of God. We are to look at Jesus’ own example; as a submitted Man first to the
greatest hardships and hazards, to the point of dying on the cross, before entering into His glory.
Do not despise, but associate yourself with sinners, the poor, widow, prisoners, destitute, sick, and serve them. We should not always be with the rich, wealthy and sound because of what we may get from them.

You are servant not to be served, but to serve.