I hope & trust this post finds you having a great day on this absolutely beautiful Friday afternoon.
I am reading the book Jesus on Leadership: Discovering the secrets of servant leadership from the life of Christ by C. Gene Wilkes. Earlier this week I came across the following:
"Jesus lived the answer to the question of how to lead like a servant. He concluded his lesson on greatness by saying, "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45). Jesus stated his mission with those words. He knew his disciples would not get it until he completed his mission. He had to say in essence, "Watch me. I will show you how this works. I have not come to be served by you, I have come to serve you. I will also give my life as a payment so that many will be freed to a relationship with God." Jesus knew he had to model his lesson before his students would ever be able to live it out."
This really got me thinking, "What do people learn by watching me? What I am modeling so others can live it out?" The reality is my life is showing something - what I believe in, where I get my hope, where I believe my strength comes from, how I perceive problems, what I believe about people, etc. It is not a matter of if my life shows or teaches it is a matter of what...and my Friends, it is the same for you and your life.
The first part of "What Will Your Influence Be...?" - what I believe & pour into myself, which quite frankly I probably don't talk about enough, is in fact what determines the second part - my influence on others. Who I believe in, Who I believe I belong to, Who I believe is in control, the things I listen to & read, etc. all determine the thoughts I think, the words I speak, the things I do or don't do and all this leads to the sermon I preach by the life I live. For those I am privileged to influence/lead, in whatever capacity, this is what I am showing them how to do, who to be. They, through my example, will now be able to live out what I have shown them.
The point of this "Happy Friday" is not to condemn but rather to raise awareness. Not to drive you or me away in despair but rather to inspire focused, intentional beliefs, thoughts, words & actions. While the world does not revolve around you or I, the example we set in our own worlds does in fact have eternal consequences. I simply ask you & I, in watching our lives lived, what do people learn?
As I thought about this I studied several thoughts/quotes. I want to share them with you here as I thought they might be useful to you on your journey.
"What you do speaks so loud I can't hear what you say." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
"You can preach a better sermon with your life than with your lips." - Oliver Goldsmith
"The life you live is the lesson you teach." - Unknown
"Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one." - Marcus Aurelius
"Do not be wise in words - be wise in deeds." - Jewish Proverb
"Don't worry that children never listen to you; worry that they are always watching you." - Robert Fulghum
"Setting an example is not the main means of influencing others; it is the only means." - Albert Einstein
"A good example is the best sermon." - Thomas Fuller
I have to share one more excerpt from Jesus on Leadership as it struck me as very profound:
"Jesus came to show what life in the kingdom of God looked like, not to modify how the world did things."
It isn't our responsibility to change people's hearts, to tell them what they should or should not do...those things are best left God. It is our responsibility to show them what we believe by the life we live.
Please don't hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for you or your families. I will always be willing to help you any way I can. You can reach me at kevin@whatwillyourinfluencebe.com.
Have a great day, a wonderful weekend and please cherish your precious families.
Kev
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