My Last Point

In between Brian Regan, football, ACL and more football I have been thinking a lot about this Trendsetters series. You might have been able to tell, because when I think about something a lot I tend to have a lot to say about that thing. And the past two Sundays I have ran out of time trying to say everything I wanted to. I hate it when that happens. It is like when I say something stupid when I am doing announcements and I get in trouble for it from Krista and y'all all know that I'm an idiot. Not that that has ever happened or anything, but if I were to do that I am sure that running out of time on Sunday morning would feel a lot like that. That's all I'm trying to say, that's all.

Well like I said, this Sunday I ran out of time again and pretty much had to skip my last point. And that bothered me all day yesterday because I think the last point was really key to everything I was telling y'all. And so in between annihilating Lindsey in Fantasy Football and watching Drew Bledsoe single handedly give away the Dallas Cowboy's game I thought that I ought to sum up that last point in today's blog, so here it is...

The point was that in order to gain influence in someone's life you must engage them like the Holy Spirit empowers you to engage them. The idea behind that point is this: For us to love like God loves (the 1st point) and if we are to accept like Christ accepted (2nd point) then it better be God in us prompting us, moving us and empowering us to do so. Because there is no way in the world I am going to be able to love like God loves on my own. You know? Last time I checked I wasn't God and I didn't have any of the God attributes down exactly so loving like God loves in my own power is a ridiculous thought. It is like saying be omniscient like God is omniscient. Good luck with that.

So how are we to do it? By relying on God in us, the Holy Spirit. Paul tells us in Galatians 5 that if we live by the Spirit we will not give into our sinful desires. Which means we won't give into our me first, I am the most important and that is why you should love me and I shouldn't have to live for anyone else kind of sinful desires. Paul also says in that passage that if we live in the Spirit than the result will be that love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control exude from us.

So to put it all together, if we rely on the Spirit and keep in step with the Spirit then we will not give into our me first kind of living but instead we will exude love and joy and faithfulness and all of that other really good stuff. And not just any kind of love and joy and goodness and peace, but God's love and joy and... You see? How do we love like God loves and accept like Christ accepted? We rely on the Spirit, we abide in Christ and we let God's love flow from us. And it is when we are doing that that we begin to gain influence in other people's lives because people are drawn to people who love them and accept them.

I hope that clarifies it some for you guys. The whole living by the Spirit thing is so crucial to all of this. It is also a very interesting topic. So if you want to bat it around a bit on the blog this week I will be happy to answer any questions you have about what that looks like or how to do it or how to know you are doing it.

I hope y'all all have a glorious week and I'll catch all of y'all on Wednesday night.

Jake