Thursday, 03 December 2009
CONTAGIOUS
While I sit here coughing, fighting off the lingering effects of a cold or
whatever it was that someone was kind enough to share and wash my
hands and rub hand sanitizer on my hands every time I think about it, I'm
reminded that I have been influenced to behave this way for fear that any-
one I am around might be contagious.
Hidden in the middle of the word influence is the word "F L U." People
that are influential pass on what they have like the flu.
In his book, "Chasing Daylight" Erwin McManus writes, "Influence is
always more powerful than authority. Authority can shape what a person
does,but influence shapes who a person becomes." Just like the com-
mon cold or the flu, influence passes through human contact. And al-
though you can't see it pass from one person to another you can see its
effects. As I think about that, I am thrilled at the thought of those that have
influenced my life for good and toward Christlikeness and embarrassed at
the thought of those that have influenced me at times to think and behave
in ways that were not honoring to God and harmful towards others. Erin
McManus goes on to say, "through our character, we pass on the attitudes,
values, and other life-shaping virtues. All of us pass a bit of ourselves on
to others. You better like who you are and make what you give to others
from yourself a gift and not a curse." Paul reminded the Christ followers
at Rome, " none of us lives to himself alone." Romans 14:7 NIV
I fear we loose heart and become discouraged some days when we
forget the potential we have to influence our culture for good just by taking
on a Christ like attitude. No matter where we are we can be contagious. I
visited my chiropractor last week for a little adjustment. While talking he
mentioned that their family had a motto that they lived by. Curios to
know I asked what it was and he told me their family motto was; " How
can I help?" He told me that he and his wife had taught their children that no
matter where you find yourself or no matter what room you walk into, you
step up and ask, "How can I help?" The Bible teaches us..."Each of you
should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others."
To be contagious you must be infected. To be infected you have to be
around those that are carriers. For Christ followers we need to be carriers
of the hope that we have found in Jesus Christ and find ways to get our
friends and family around others that have been affected by God's amazing grace.
What would be better than for an outbreak o real hope to sweep across
our community because we infected others through personal contact and
influenced them to take steps to radical life change found in a life committed
to following Jesus Christ?
