“Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.” 1 Thes. 4:11-12 (NIV)
What kind of impact are you making on the lives of others? What are you doing to maximize your influence? Choose to maximize your influence by winning the respect of outsiders. How do you do that? You win the respect of outsiders by leading a quiet life, minding your own business, and working with your hands. Demonstrating a strong work ethic and living a life of personal responsibility elevates your influence.
You can also maximize your influence by sharing with those in need. Being generous towards others releases your influence and emulates the heart of Christ. You are never more like Jesus than when you are giving. God has created you to honor Him and to benefit others. Find a need and meet it. Choose to continue the ministry of Jesus on the earth.
Another way to maximize your influence is by making God’s Word attractive. “Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them, and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive” (Titus 2:9-10 NIV). A contemporary application of these two verses is to seek to please your employer and to be respectful towards them and show that you can be fully trusted. By being a model employee, you are making God’s Word attractive.
Pursuing God,
Stephen Trammell
Executive Pastor
Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell