The last seven lessons have challenged us to make a godly impact on others. We are to go out of our way to influence all for the cause of Christ, and we are to find a few that we can pour our lives into just like Jesus did. Many will read and say, “that’s not for me; I can’t do it.” Some will take the challenge, but go back to their old selfish ways because they don’t feel “it’s working.” However, there will be a few that understand it is a biblical mandate from God, and they will seek to obey. Whether or not you are a success or failure depends on your motivation and your focus.
If your motivation is to please the Master, there is no option but to seek to make disciples for Him. The greatest command that most Christians are familiar with is Matthew 28:19-20, where Jesus is giving His disciples, that have been with Him for three years, their marching orders for furthering the kingdom. This command is to all who are a follower of Jesus Christ.
Matthew 28:19-20 “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.”
It is a command, not a suggestion. If we are to be a follower of Jesus, we must live as he has commanded. When asked what the greatest commands, Jesus replied to love God with everything in us and to love our neighbor as ourselves. If we love, we will obey. If you genuinely love Him with all your heart, you will “go.” That may mean across the world for some, but for most of us, it will be across the street. It could involve picking up the phone for something other than Facebook, Twitter, or playing games. It will mean using the tools we have for things that will have eternal value. I love Francis Chan’s quote that is based on Jesus’ command to love God and others: “Do you know that nothing you do in this life will ever matter unless it is about loving God and loving the people He has made.” This should be our focus.
Luke 10:27 “And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself.”
When we love others enough to pour our lives into theirs, we are doing an act of love that will last eternally. We need to study to get to know God and pray for opportunities. The more time we spend with God, the more we will have to offer those we are seeking to impact for Him.
We need to spend time with others so they can experience what it is like to be a disciple of Christ. On-the-job training is priceless when it comes to living out our lives in practical day to day situations. Jesus was always teaching as others followed Him. One morning Jesus was walking with His disciples and they were hungry. Off in the distance, He saw a fig tree. It looked productive by the leaves it produced and its color. When he came close to the tree, He saw that it had no fruit. He cursed it, and it died. He used this to illustrate our value when we are not productive bearing fruit for Christ. We too are always teaching by our actions and attitudes. The question we must ask ourselves is, “What are we teaching?”
Mark 11:13-14 “And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet. And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it.”
Jesus used stories to awaken the senses of those listening. He used stories to engage their mind and their emotions. Jesus got to know people by asking questions and allowing them to talk about themselves, as he did the woman at the well in John chapter 4. Jesus had compassion for others. He saw their need. He healed the blind, brought the dead back to life, and taught those who had no one to teach them.
Mark 6:34 “And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.”
He loved deep enough to seek to make a difference in their lives. He was grooming His disciples to continue the work he began after He would return to Heaven. He revealed their potential to them and taught them in a way that enhanced their abilities. Everything He did while here on earth was done intentionally to show God’s love for a lost and dying world. He taught and is still teaching, through His word and His people, how we are to live so that we might never die.
Are you ready to obey and become a person who has an impact on those God brings in your path? Are you willing to live unselfishly for the benefit of others? If so, you will need to draw close to God every day. You will need to study so the Holy Spirit will bring scripture to your memory when needed. You will need to put yourself out there where you intentionally get to know others and allow them to know you. The bottom line, you need to love God with all your heart and love others the way you love yourself. This should be your motivation and your focus. When you determine to live this way, you will be blessed. You will be satisfied and humbled one day when in Heaven you see those God has allowed you to influence for Him. This is success!
Psalm 1:1-3 “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”
