The Circle of Our Impact --- Matthew 5: 14-16 One of today’s great tragedies is that so many people live chaotic lives with no real purposes. We would expect this from non-believers, but Christians should live out the knowledge that God has a very specific purpose for each person. When we consider what He has invested in us, it is no wonder that He wants to see us bear fruit in the lives of others. We can powerfully impact those in our circle of influence, much the way a stone tossed into a pond will make expanding concentric ripples. In today’s passage, Jesus describes believers a light and calls us to reflect Him in a sin-darkened culture. Like the moon reflecting the light of the sun, we are to let the truth and beauty of the indwelling Christ shine out through our conduct, conversation, and character. In doing so, we must put away sin because it diminishes our light, as does soot on the globe of a lantern. Our influence on others should be purposeful rather than haphazard. We ought to ask ourselves which people we are impacting. Are we in fact making a difference in anyone’s life? The truth is, we can turn our “ripples” into powerful waves for God that affect wide circles of individuals. For instance, consider the impact of prayer. There’s no end to its possibilities – your influence can extend to the remotest places on earth when you are on your knees before the Lord. Don’t ever underestimate the scope and circle of your influence when you are obedient to God. By following Him, you live out what it means to be the “light of the world.”
Posted on: Wed, 30 Jul 2014 13:21:05 +0000