Gtcotr/ws010114
What
better day could we be given to begin a new adventure together! This year we
are going to lead others to know Jesus and then lead them to follow Him. We
will accomplish this by learning how to positively impact our Families, our
Finances and our Future for Christ.
The
Scriptural basis for this first step comes from a familiar passage in:
Genesis 18 (NLT)
17 “Should I hide my plan
from Abraham?” the LORD asked.
18 “For Abraham will certainly
become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be
blessed through him.
19 I have singled him out so
that he will direct his sons and their families to keep the way of the LORD by
doing what is right and just. Then I will do for Abraham all that I have
promised.”
As
I said, our new adventure for 2014 is going to involve us making a positive
impact on our Families, our Finances and our Future. We are going to begin our
journey together by learning how to influence others and lead them to make the
right decisions on their own, because they want to.
John Maxwell,
a well known Pastor and Author, says: “Leadership is
influence.” What does he mean? Simply put, when we influence others we
are in effect their leader.
People
affect people. And when we push, pull, encourage or discourage others we
provide motivation and thereby influence them to act. Most people in the circle
of our lives are reasonably predictable. We know what it takes to make them
happy; what it takes to make them sad; how to positively influence them and how
we can get achieve a negative reaction from them as well. Manipulation and
control are skills we learn early in life.
Have
you identified the real leaders in your life? Who influences you to speak up,
shut up, stand up, or give up? Who makes you happy; who makes you sad … How do
they do it?
Hopefully,
those who influence us actually love and care about us, our family, our
finances and our future … not everyone does by the way. If not … perhaps you
may want to reconsider allowing them their influence. But, that’s a subject for
another time.
Right
now we want to consider how we can positively impact our families for the cause
of Christ? How can I influence my family?
1.
Begin with the end in mind.
a. Decide where we are
going before we begin the journey.
b. Stay focused on our
goals.
c. Prayerfully consider
what success would like.
2.
Be willing to accept small changes as signs on the road to success.
“I see a small cloud about the size of a man’s hand …” (1 Kings
18:44)
a. Success is more than
a one step process.
b. President Ronald
Reagan said that if he could get 80% of what he wanted, it was a great day. I
agree!
3.
Never expect from others what you are unwilling to give of yourself.
God
knew Abraham would influence his children and their families to keep the way of
the Lord. Abraham would accomplish this in part because he led by example.
Two
main goals this year for our Families is to make sure they are Born Again and
then to influence them to follow Christ as a matter of their own decision.
We
can do this.
I
will influence you to:
·
Stay
focused on your goals
·
Take
small steps
·
Lead
by example
Now
let’s bathe the coming year and cover our families in prayer.
