The original, "What Will Your Influence Be...?"

Happy Friday, Friends:

I hope and trust this post finds you all having a great day as a glorious new day begins to dawn in my Sweet Home Alabama!

 

Last Sunday, I learned that, while I readily acknowledged it was inspired by the Spirit, What Will Your Influence Be…? was actually addressed by the Apostle Paul around 48 A.D. Some original idea I had!

 

In his letter to the Christian churches in Galatia, Paul wrote the following:

 

Galatians 5:19-23

19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

 

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

 

There it is – controlled by the flesh vs. controlled by the Spirit; fruits of the flesh vs. fruits of the Spirit. What Will Your Influence Be…?

 

I am not here this morning to tell anyone how they should live their lives; I can only testify to how I have chosen to live mine. What I will encourage us all to do is to take a look at the fruit that we produce in our lives. If we don’t like what that looks like, we would be wise to consider how we are living our lives. As Luke stated in Chapter 6: verses 43-45:

 

43 “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44 Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes or grapes from briers. 45 A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.

 

I chuckle as I type this; I had truly never seen What Will Your Influence Be…? in Galatians 5:19-23 until this past weekend. And as hard as we might want to make life, it is really rather simple. Good in, good out. Bad in, bad out.

 

What Will Your Influence Be…? Truly Friend, you don’t have to say a word. We can all see the fruit.

 

Please feel free to contact me at any time if there is ever anything I can do for you. I will always help you any way I can. You can reach me at kevin@whatwillyourinfluencebe.com.

 

Have a great day, a wonderful weekend, please cherish your precious family, and please stay well!

 

Kev