Who You Are When No One's Looking Ch 11

Influence: Everyone Matters

• The text highlights the influence we have on those around us.
  • We affect others through our behaviors, choices, and interactions.
  • Even small actions, like facial expressions, can have an impact.

The Power of Light: Jesus' Metaphor

• Jesus uses light and darkness as a metaphor for influence.
  • We are the light in a world increasingly filled with darkness.
  • Our choice is to maximize our influence, just as we would position a lamp to illuminate a whole house.

Light vs. Darkness: A Daily Struggle

• The text emphasizes the constant struggle against encroaching darkness.
  • This darkness is represented by evil, oppression, injustice, and various forms of sin.
  • Each of us has a responsibility to use our light to combat these forces.

Levering Our Influence: Beyond the Salad Bowl

• The text challenges us to move beyond a self-limiting mindset.
  • We are not insignificant or powerless, despite what we might perceive.
  • We should actively seek to use our influence for positive change, not hide it.

Love: The Foundation of Positive Change

• Love is the foundation for a positive influence.
  • Spreading love, kindness, and common courtesies is a fundamental aspect of following Christ.

Meeting Needs: Making a Concrete Impact

• Meeting practical needs directly impacts a community.
  • The text provides examples of churches influencing their communities by providing practical assistance to those in need.

Confronting Injustice: Stepping Outside Our Comfort Zones

• Confronting injustices is a necessary step beyond simply offering love and meeting needs.
  • This often involves tackling deep-rooted issues and challenging systems of oppression.
  • The text cites examples of churches actively addressing educational and racial injustices.

Ending Violence: A Call to Action

• Ending violence is a higher level of influence, requiring direct involvement in movements to stop violence against innocent people.
  • This calls for confronting issues like human trafficking, slave labor, and political persecution.

The Ultimate Goal: Reconciliation with Christ

• The text posits reconciliation to Christ as the highest and best use of our influence.
  • This includes both fearless proclamation of the gospel and active work of restoring people to God's love.
  • The early Church serves as an example of this dual approach.

A Story of Transformation

• The text concludes with a powerful personal story of a woman who was led to Christ through personal interaction and subsequent encouragement.
  • This story demonstrates how small acts of kindness and connection can lead to profound transformations.
  • It illustrates the possibility of a life redeemed and restored through faith.

Reconciliation and Transformation

• Transformation happens not only for eternity but also in the time between here and heaven.
• Evangelism and character are needed to influence the world.

Cultivating Godly Character

• Finding a mentor or someone who has influenced you positively and thanking them for their impact.
• Choosing virtue over selfishness, apathy, and greed requires courage and strength.
• Asking ourselves key questions to assess our character:
  • Are we becoming more courageous and disciplined?
  • Is our passion for God's calling still strong?
  • Do others perceive us as resilient and loving?
• Reflecting on how our character traits are impacting our lives: are they leading us towards loving, serving, and sharing our faith?

The Power of Coming to Our Senses

• The prodigal son, in the Bible story, "came to his senses" and changed his trajectory.
• We may need to look beneath the surface of our lives to see our behavior patterns and their consequences.
• We may come to a defining moment when we realize the need for a change, driven by pain, guilt, boredom, or self-centeredness.
• The decision to change is a powerful step that brings hope and leads to a new path.
• The development of "Christ-like" character is an ongoing process, a fight, but it is worth it.