Who Are You Influencing?

The thought has been on my mind this week, who are you influencing? Am I purposely making an effort to influence others in a life to Jesus? Am I so wrapped up in myself that I can’t take the time to pour into another life?

This has been the most amazing year of my life! It began broken and forlorn. Here I was a woman who had literally flushed her life down the toilet because I thought I could do it better on my own. But of course I couldn’t do it alone! I needed Jesus so desperately and he gave me the greatest gift of my life. He allowed me to be able to travel and spend time alone with him. He restored my sanity. I thought I was going crazy, panic attacks and anxiety fits. See my friends’ sin will take you further than you ever thought you would go and keep you longer than you thought you would ever stay.

I sat in church for 3 years broken and desperate for someone to reach out to me. There was one sweet lady at church Sis. Willie who saw something in me and she loved me when no one else seemed to care. It’s kind of funny how you look back and think if it hadn’t been for that one person caring about me, where would I be? How much more should we be reaching to the broken?

I am convicted that I have not been reaching as well as I should be to those who are hurting. I heard the most terrible news this week; dear friends of mine have left our church. I did reach to them but did I do enough? I don’t know and I am determined to keep on praying and reaching for them! See it really does matter who you are influencing. It may seem like it’s a lot of work and maybe you’re tired and maybe you just don’t feel like reaching. But it reminds me of the song by casting crowns, “If we are the body then why aren’t our arms reaching?”

As I traveled I met so many people who poured into my life. It was like at every stop, God had ordained the visit. I spent the summer pouring into others and being poured into by new and old friends. I felt God leading me to be an encourager. I spent the whole summer encouraging and being encouraged by some of the most wonderful people of God! What a wonderful gift! See my life was changed by the power of the spoken word. It was changed because so many people took the time to influence my life. This in turn caused a chain reaction, I too wanted to encourage and influence the lives of others. See you never know how much you can influence someone and give them courage just because you took the time to care.

When I came home, I was in a place of euphoria. I had never been so at peace before in my life. Now this is when God started shifting my focus away from myself. No longer did I need to be poured into in the same ways. Now it was my turn to help others. He began speaking to me about reaching to the lost and hurting. You see I can relate I had had a life of emotional hurts. Now because of where the Lord had brought me from and what he had delivered me from, it was now time for God to teach me how to love the lost once again. It came in the most unusual way.

God started talking to me about ministry. He began opening my eyes to the gospels and how Jesus my Lord and savior had lived his life. He did not come to the rich and the popular. He came to the weary, the broken, the hungry, and the homeless. He was reaching the ones who had no hope who lived in fear and had no where else to turn. He commanded us to go to the highways and the byways. He told us that when we took care of the least of his than we were taking care of Him. I had never been so convicted in my life! Here I was so wrapped up in me and the answer was simple. Feed my sheep!

See there is a principle in abandoning your life for the life of Christ. My life and my desires don’t matter anymore. No longer do I care about whether my life will fall into place. My life is literally in the hands of Jesus. I now am not worried or fretful about the things of this world. They are temporary and in the scheme of life they have no value. The value I have found is in reaching out to those who are hungry, those who need a mentor, and to those who are broken.

God has put a variety of people in my life. Gus who is the most God-centered person I know. His blogs and life have impacted me so deeply. God used him to open my eyes. I will be eternally grateful. You see he influenced me and by his influence God was able to change my perspective. When you truly give yourself away then you will change so many lives and even some you may not know until heaven. So even if you don’t know who you are influencing, try to live your life on purpose.

God also put a young girl Tracy in my life last year. I have been praying for this girl all year. I didn’t realize why God had put her in my life until the last few weeks. He has wanted me to influence her, encourage her, and help develop her. I have never met a young girl who was hungrier for the work of God than this young lady. Already she is excited for the work and ministry that I am working with in Friendship community.

Friendship community is what God has called me to this summer. It is a group of friends headed up by Gus and supported by his pastor Bro. Moore. It is a group of friends reaching out to those who are broken and in need in the community of Longview, TX. They are reaching to homeless camps and RV parks. There are doors being opened left and right! I am so honored that God has allowed this group to come into my life. They are influencing in love. Justin a young boy is Gus’ right hand guy. He is so on fire for the Lord. He is being mentored and used at such a young age. You see it doesn’t matter how old you are or where you have been in your life, God can use you no matter what!

There has been turmoil in the last little bit in my life. This is good for me because it has been teaching me to keep depending on the Lord. The devil isn’t happy that I have made the decision to step out on faith. He isn’t happy that I have decided to move to Longview, TX. He isn’t happy that the gospel is going to move forward. But I am happy because I know a Jesus who can move a mountain. I know a savior that no matter how far you may have fallen in your life that he can pick you up in an instant.

Saul was changed to Paul in one night on the road to Damascus. Jonah was restored when he left the belly of the whale. David was a murderer and a thief but God restored him time after time. It doesn’t matter who you are or what you have done. If God calls you to a place then you better go!!! Do not fear the unknown. Because “IF” you go then Jesus will make a way when there seems no way. We have a covenant with God; “IF” we do it then he is faithful to sustain us. We can’t expect the miracle unless we do our part first, because God will always make a way. But we must first be willing to do what he is asking us to do!

So I implore you dear friend, please take the time to pour into another life. You never know if that child or that broken soul will be saved because you took the time to influence them. Its true pouring into someone takes time and it’s often painful but the rewards are unspeakable. Live your life on purpose! Let Jesus come through your eyes. Speak faith into someone and believe in them when no one else seems to care. I have a new friend that God has brought into my life just because I have taken the time to befriend him. I met him at a coffee shop of all places. I know God is working on him. So who are you willing to influence???