Influence

 

And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:17

 

Two friends with two different theories for living the Christian life.

Friend #1. Go to work and live the Christian life without speaking up about it. Love others, be kind, helpful, and work hard.

This friend has a husband who regularly challenged her about not openly talking about her Christianity. She was well-liked at work but he felt she was not having an influence on others for Christ. She decided to do things his way to see what would happen. She framed a couple of Bible verses and put them on her desk and vowed to speak up when given opportunity,

The first day the verses were out a co-worker who she interacted with every day came up and asked about the verses. I don’t know what the words were but she told the co-worker that she had decided to give God some of the glory He is due. The co-worker’s immediate response? “Oh, you’re a Christian?!

How much influence had she had on her co-workers?

Friend #2. Live like a Christian, don’t be afraid to use words and carry your Bible.

She works closely with others around small children every day. Because she does Bible study on her lunch hour and lives according to scriptural principles everyone knows she is a Christian. When given opportunity she talks about her faith. Before she enters the building in the morning she prays that she will be good to the children, have patience and show kindness.

Her co-workers change their behavior toward the children when she works with them. Voices are lowered and greater patience is demonstrated.

How much influence has she had on her co-workers.

Neither ever felt free to share the gospel with her co-workers. Neither of them talks about what church they attend. But the second friend has been a positive influence where she works because she has taken seriously her responsibility to glorify God in everything she does.

For the record, friend #1 wanted to and thought she was glorifying God in her actions. She was loving and kind. The truth is that a lot of people are able to be loving and kind at work. It does not clearly speak of the Lord or point others to Him without Words.

Many Christians have this philosophy that we are better witnesses to the secular world if we are just quiet and not intrusive to the way they do things. They hope for an opportunity eventually to speak of the Lord.

That might work. What a greater gift, with friend #2, for those children to be treated much better because someone is willing to stand out and be different in her workplace –  in word and in deed.

God has placed each of us in an area of influence. In yours and mine – are we the “influenced” or are we the “influencer”?