Several years ago, I had the privilege of working with a group of elementary-age children. There was a young boy named Jonathan who was very easy to work with but not very talkative. At one point, however, Jonathan came up to me with sparkling eyes and a smile from ear to ear. "Guess what?" he asked me. Jonathan didn't usually initiate conversation with me, so I was curious to hear what was so exciting to him. "What?" I asked him. "I walked by the Boy Scouts," he said. "And one of them said 'Hi' to me!"
"Be imitators of me," Paul admonished the Corinthians, "as I am of Christ," (1 Corinthians 11:1). In his next letter to the Corinthians, Paul spoke of the "area of influence God assigned to us" (2 Corinthians 10:13). It's clear that Paul felt the Corinthians were in his area of influence, and he felt the responsibility to set a good example for them. Not only did Paul set an example, but he also spent countless hours counseling, teaching, and praying for the Corinthian Christians.
In his 1828 dictionary, Noah Webster defined "influence" as: "Literally, a flowing in, into or on, and referring to substances spiritual or too [subtle] to be visible, like inspiration."
In 1913, a young woman named Ina Ogdon dreamed of carrying the Gospel to the unreached people of Chautauqua. Despite Ina's intentions, her father's ill health compelled her to stay at home and serve her family there. As she quieted her dreams of great missionary work, she learned to be content in the area of influence where God had placed her. As a result, she penned the hymn "Brighten the Corner Where You Are":
"Do not wait until some deed of greatness you may do,
Do not wait to shed your light afar,
To the many duties ever near you now be true,
To the many duties ever near you now be true,
Brighten the corner where you are."
Brighten the corner where you are - no matter how small that corner may be. God has placed us in these corners for a reason. It is our responsibility to follow His will and impact those in our area of influence, no matter how small or great that area is. We must pour ourselves - flow - into the areas God has given us.
As you look around you, who is in your area of influence? Who looks up to you? Who enjoys spending time with you? There are more watching your life than you may realize. A cartoonist once said, "You don't have to be a 'person of influence' to be influential. In fact, the most influential people in my life are probably not even aware of the things they've taught me."
Whether you realize it or not, there are people watching you every day. It may be neighbors or younger siblings. Perhaps there are people in your church who look up to you. Are you showing those around you a picture of a faithful walk with God? Notice that Paul said, "Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ." Paul didn't want the Corinthians to pick up on his sinful habits or problems. Striving to be first and foremost a follower of God, Paul sought to set a good example for those in his area of influence (see Philippians 3:12-14). Jesus gave a very stern warning to those who misused their influence (Mark 9:42).
We all go through times where we feel wistful to be at another point, another place. Maybe we wish for a greater audience or greater responsibility. But you and I have been placed where we are by God. Isn't that incredible? The God of the universe fashioned you to be right where you are today.
I don't know if that particular Boy Scout realized the impact his simple greeting had on a little boy. Whether the Boy Scout knew it or not, Jonathan was in his area of influence. It didn't take much to make Jonathan's day. If he could, Jonathan would hang on that young man's every word, and watch his every move.
We have all been given our own little corner - our own area of influence - in which to glorify God. Who might be in your corner today?
"Here for all your talent you may surely find a need,
Here reflect the bright and Morning Star;
Even from your humble hand the Bread of Life may feed,
No comments:
Post a Comment