"Be strong (confident) and of good courage, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land which I swore to their fathers to give them." Joshua 1:6 Amplified (emphasis mine)
That's a big responsibility! Thankfully, I'm not Joshua and I don't have the entire nation of Israel depending on me, but that Scripture still spoke to my heart! I have others depending on me, and while it may not be an entire nation, it still is a group (however small) of very important people.
Who depends on you, friends? Your children? A ladies group at church? Your husband? Whether you realize it or not, you are a person of great influence! God desires for you to "be strong and of good courage" because people are watching you! They need to see your light shining in the darkness.
Once upon a time (okay, it was about six years ago), our church went through a very difficult time. People were leaving the church left and right, and, at one point, it even crossed my mind to do so. In a peaceful moment, God spoke to my heart, and He pointed out several people that I would be affecting if I left too. Well, that was too big of a price for me to pay. I could not bear to risk hindering someone else's walk with God.
You may be thinking, "are they really my responsibility?" YES! They are! (To a certain extent, anyway). Romans 14 reminds us of the impact we have on our brothers and sisters- and warns us to not cause them to stumble.
I encourage you to take steps to strengthen your walk with God- wherever you are at today. Do you need to spend more time in fellowship with God? Make a commitment to spend at least a few minutes reading your Bible, or in prayer. Or maybe you need to commit to spending more time in fellowship with like-minded believers in a church or small group setting.
Make it your goal to positively impact everyone you come into contact with. Speak words of encouragement; words that edify (build someone up)- whether it be your husband, your children, another woman, or a child you come into contact with throughout the course of your day. You never know how far reaching your influence can be! Your positive influence can cause others to inherit the promises of God!
For me, that's a good enough reason to get my act together! God is depending on me to help others receive all that He has for them!
What are some ways you can impact others in your world for God?
Linking up for Living Well Wednesdays
Linking up for Living Well Wednesdays
