Day 2: Respark Your Influence

Bible Reading: Acts 8: 26-40

Imagine the scene: the guy has gone down on one knee and brought out a ring. The lady is blushing from ear to ear and has excitement-overdose written all over her face. The guy stays on his knee trying to find the words to say. She has her answer, but hasn’t been asked any question. She needs him to ask the question so she can give an answer. He’s thinking it back and forth now. He’s probably beginning to wonder whether he’s able to couch the sentence right or whether it will sound good on his lips. In his distraction, he’s wondering whether he is even violating the girls right to her opinion by putting her on the spot about an answer. He’s probably now even beginning to second guess himself and everything, and even the concept of relationships and marriage in its entirety.

All his friends in the background are urging him on ‘The stage is set- speak up, guy!’

The entire universe is standing on tiptoe, yearning to see the unveiling of God’s glorious sons and daughters!  Romans 8:19 TPT

Does that sound familiar? The world earnestly expecting, standing on tip toes. There’s something Christians carry that the world is desperate to hear, but sadly, we seem to be more silent than verbal as Christians in our day and age

We must realize deeply that as Christians, we have big moments in our hands! Living in a dark and confused generation is a massive set up for the children of light to take advantage of. 

Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. Matthew 5:14 MSG

We have been privileged and blessed with a bended knee moment, but what would we do with it? Would we live the rest of this year speaking up for a dark generation or fading away from our big moments in heart-breaking silence?

What we see in our Bible reading today with Philip is a Christian taking his moment, and this is the life God calls every one of us to. God calls us to live aware that the moments of our lives are pregnant. God calls us to live aware that we are not just on the journey for the destination; we are also on the journey for the influence. At some point, it doesn’t just matter where we are getting to, it also matters who we are getting there with.

It’s really easy to slip into a narrative of complaining about how bad the world is and how messed up and broken people are. But that was never God’s design for us. We were made to be influencers of the darkness, not complainers and moaners. We were made rot be the life-giving, light-bringing influence in the story. We were made to carry the voice of hope, not the echo of hopelessness. We were made to win with the power of love, not wallow wounded by hatred and bitterness.

As we wait on God today, let’s believe to rediscover our cutting edge of influence in a world that so desperately needs it. Let’s believe to be bearers of the gospel this year. Let’s believe to be strong pointers to Jesus. Our generosity as Christians must start with what we do with the gospel.

Influence for the sake of Jesus is not something that’s up to ‘strong christians’, it is in the very core and essence of what it means to be Christian.  Stop over-rationalising it. Stop thinking of how it will sound on your lips. Don’t buy that lie of whether or not its appropriate to put people on the spot with my own personal beliefs. This is what we live for!

I believe there are many things that we might be privileged to share with the world, but none should ever replace the substance of life that is in Jesus. We can be great encouragers, and philanthropists and all that, but nothing should ever replace sharing with the world the simple statement of Jesus and our need of faith in him for salvation; otherwise we’ll be like the guy down on one knee motivating the girl to be encouraged and inspired in her expectation, rather than simply asking her the question. 

You know what I want the rest of this year to look like? There must always be some unbeliever friend that I am standing on and inviting to Church; there must always be that lost family member that I’m texting and telling that I’m praying for to encounter Jesus; there must always be that voice that I’m putting up in my influence spaces for Jesus. Its not a special christian thing- its a normal christian thing.   

May we be faithful to the expectation of heaven over us.

In Prayer Today

Pray for the Holy Spirit to grant you utterance and boldness to speak up for Jesus in your circles today and for the rest of this year! Pray that you will be a Christian who is faithful with your God-given influence opportunities.

Tolulope Moody