Every one of us has influence; we decide whether it is good or bad! The youngest of us have those who look to us for direction as well as those of us “metallic men” with “silver hair, golden teeth, and lead bottoms”. The Apostle Paul talked to young Timothy about the unique place the older men, younger men, older women, and younger women had in the Church. How different our world would be if we all followed Paul’s instructions to treat older men as fathers; younger men as brothers; older women as mothers; and younger women as sisters.
Please allow me to list ten ways we can have a good influence on each of these four groups.
Never take anyone for granted! We will only be a good influence with people we value. I have never at the bedside at one about to go into eternity who wished he had made more money for himself. But, I sincerely believe, that when we stand before our Creator, we will all wish we spent more time helping people. We will realize that people are God’s greatest asset!
Have a “make-a-difference” mind set! We can only make a difference in those areas we think we can make a difference. We can only influence those we think we can. When we have a mental block about helping some person or group of people (discriminate), we will fail to have a good influence with them.
Move toward people – do not wait for them to move toward you! We must go to people and meet them where they are. Often, those who need us the most will stand the greatest distance away from us. There are people who are looking in our direction, hoping we will move their way. Let us be the ones who will make the first move to help.
Always be looking for common ground! It is so easy to see differences in others – their eye and hair color; their hands and feet; their height or lack of such; etc. But it is time that we “major in majors and not in minors”. God had a sense of humor when He made each of us!
Recognize, but respect, differences in personalities! When was the last time we “walked a mile in his moccasins”? When we try to see things from the other’s point of view, we will learn something important and gain an opportunity to be a good influence.
Discover the hidden treasure! We can never influence people for good if we cannot find what they value the most. This is where friendship communication is important. Personally, I most often use geography to help me find value when meeting people for the first time, especially here in Port O’Connor. Most people here come from someplace else and love to tell us more about “home” than we truly want to know! When we allow people to tell “their story”, we open a door to good influence.
Always speak from the heart! A phony is easily spotted, especially by kids. We must communicate with a truthful, genuine heart – one that hopefully is filled with love. Honesty is always required, but honestly, there are some things better left unsaid. Love will teach us about when to speak and when to remain silent.
Build bridges, not walls! Share common experiences, and be willing to share yours first. I know from experience I will never catch the most fish or the largest fish, but I must be willing to allow others to “out-shine” me. It is the only pathway to bridge-building. Far too many of us “wall people out” of our lives and when we allow this to happen, we will always fail to be a good influence on them. A minister friend, LeRoy Bartell, went to a congregation which had isolated itself. In prayer one day, the Lord gave him a motto for the church: “The Church Without Walls”, and soon people inside the church and outside the church saw a new attitude which helped the church to grow. The same will happen with friendships.
Close the deal – pop the question! We will never lead anyone anywhere until we, totally convinced, move forward. Some of us never get past “the weather topic”. We have a difficult time finding a way to get the conversation moving in a positive direction. Just say it! Provide good influence with a “deal closer”!
Remember the goal! Why do we want to be a good influence? Are we simply trying to see how large an “army” we can muster? I believe most of us want to help people live better lives and see them mature into people of stature. We cannot merely show people the pathway; we must walk the trail with them!
When we are doing what we should, we will be influencing people of all groups. Even young people can influence older ones when they strive to, and older people can relate to the younger ones with extra efforts. Let us all work at being good and Godly influences.
