"Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing [rightly handling and skillfully teaching] the Word of Truth.
But avoid all empty (vain, useless idle) talk, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness."
II Timothy 2:15, 16
As a Christian, I have a responsibility to lead others to God. When we study and are in God's presence each day, we can introduce others to Christ. On the other hand, we will lead people into ungodliness if we do not work on our own relationship with God. Many people become bitter about the church, because the church members were rude and did not become Christ's example to the world.
My desire as a leader is to lead others into a relationship with God. This means that it is my responsibility to study the Word of God and practice spending time in His presence every day. If I do this, my witness is a lot more effective and I am more influential. It also helps if my words to give life and not death. When we have spent time with God, we speak God's Word into our lives and lives of others.
"You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste (its strength, its quality), how can its saltness be restored? It is not good for anything any longer but to be thrown out and trodden underfoot by men.
You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.
Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a peck measure, but on a lamp stand, and it gives light to all in the house.
Let your light so shine before men that they may see your moral excellence and your praiseworthy, noble, and good deeds and recognize and honor and praise and glorify your Father who is in heaven."
Matthew 5:13-16
From my studies, I have found the key to influence through God. There are four characteristics that we must possess to influence others. These four characteristics are courage, wisdom, faithfulness, and obedience. As we work on our relationship with God through daily devotions, we build these characteristics in our lives. If we have these characteristics, then we are more effective as a witness for God and the benefits of a relationship with Him.
The way I learned about these character traits was through the Word of God. There are four women who illustrated these character traits that I admire. These women loved God and were used to influence others to follow and obey God. Their names are Deborah, Abigail, Ruth, and Esther. Each of them lived righteously and became leaders whose stories were included in the Bible.
"Iron sharpens iron; so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend [to show rage or worthy purpose]."
Proverbs 27:17
Deborah
"And she sent and called Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, Has not the Lord, the God of Israel, commanded [you], Go, gather your men at Mount Tabor, taking 10,000 men from the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun?
And I will draw out Sisera, the general of Jabin's army, to meet you at the river of Kishon with his chariots and his multitude, and I will deliver him into your hand?
And Barak said to her, If you will go with me, then I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go.
And she said, I will surely go with you; neverthe less, the trip you take will not be for your glory, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kadesh.
Judges 4:6-9
Deborah was a woman who lived in an era when men dominated. Although we feel like it is the same today, we have a lot more privileges and opportunities for women to lead and influence others. In the time that Deborah lived, it was very unusual for a woman to lead, and it was even more unusual for a woman to lead an army. Actually, she not only led the army, but the leaders of the army demanded that she go with them into battle.
Deborah did not even hesitate to join them to the battle. She knew God would see them through and win their battle. It took courage for her to walk into battle with the Israelite army. This is what gave Deborah her influence. People listened to her, because she looked at difficulties and moved forward anyway. People trusted her, because they knew she would not run when something got too hard.
This is the way we need to live. Sometimes, we feel like dropping everything and running from a bad situation. Unfortunately, this only makes our problems worse. We need to see the opportunity in our problems. Just like Deborah saw victory for Israel, we need to see victory for our own lives. It is like a pregnant woman who goes into labor. She faces pain and agony for a time, but, when it is all over, she holds a precious baby in their arms. If she does not go through the pain, she will not enjoy the reward afterwards. A pregnant woman must be brave as she awaits labor and the painful contractions.
Abigail
"The man's name was Nabal and his wife's name was Abigail; she was a woman of good understanding, and beautiful. But the man was rough and evil in his doings; he was a Calebite."
I Samuel 25:3
"When Abigail saw David, she hastened and lighted off the donkey, and fell before David on her face and did obeisance.
Kneeling at his feet she said, Upon me alone let this guild be, my lord. And let your handmaid, I pray you, speak in your presence, and hear the words of your handmaid.
And when the Lord has done to my lord according to all the good that He has promised concerning you and has made you ruler over Israel,
This shall be no staggering grief to you or cause for pangs of conscience to my lord, either that you have shed blood without cause or that my lord has avenged himself. And when the Lord has dealt well with my lord, then [earnestly] remember your handmaid."
I Samuel 25:23-24, 30-31
Abigail was a woman of wisdom. She was nothing like her evil husband that did not help David. In I Samuel 25, we learn that Abigail rode out to meet David and fell down before David. She was pleading for mercy. As a woman of wisdom, she knew David could destroy her family. Her wisdom impressed David, so he did not hurt any of her family.
"And David said to Abigail, Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, Who sent you this day to meet me
And blessed be your discretion and advice, and blessed be you who have kept me today from bloodguiltiness and from avenging myself with my own hand.
For as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, who has prevented me from hurting you, if you had not hurried and come to meet me, surely by morning there would not have been left so much as one male to Nabal."
I Samuel 25:32-34
David heard her words and was influenced by them. Her wisdom was admirable and courageous. She gave David advice that made him stop and think about his decision. When he thought about the consequences of his actions, he decided to put an end to his revenge. Not long after Abigail convinced David not to take revenge on Nabal and their family, God struck Nabal dead (vs. 38). After Nabal died, David took Abigail as his wife (vs. 40-42).
When people know us as wise and of good understanding, we are able to lead them through our influence. As we study God's Word, we gain the wisdom of God and grow in understanding. If we are wise through God's Word, we make good decisions that impress others. During times of trials, people want to follow someone who is prosperous and makes the right decision.
Ruth
"Then they wept aloud again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law [good-bye], but Ruth clung to her.
And Naomi said, See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.
And Ruth said, Urge me not to leave you or to turn back from following you; for where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people and your God my God.
Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. The Lord do so to me, and more also, if anything but death parts me from you.
When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she said no more."
Ruth 1:14-18
"Then Naomi her mother-n-law said to Ruth, My daughter, shall I not seek rest or a home for you, that you may prosper?"
And he said, Blessed be you of the Lord, my daughter. For you have made this last loving-kindness greater than the former, for you have not gone after young men, whether poor or rich.
And now, my daughter, fear not. I will do for you all you require, for all my people in the city know that you are a woman of strength (worth, bravery, capability).
Also he said, Bring the mantle you are wearing and hold it. So [Ruth] held it, and he measured out six measures of barley and laid it on her. And she went into the town."
Ruth 3:1, 10-11, 15
"Also Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, I have bout to be my wife to restore the name of the dead to his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brethren and from the gate of his birthplace. You are witnesses this day."
Ruth 4:10
Ruth was faithful to her mother-in-law. She went wherever her mother-in-law went. This meant that she did not go back to her own people, but, instead, she went to a foreign land and served her mother-in-law's God. Because of her faithfulness, God blessed her with new possibilities. When she reached Boaz's field, she had nothing and needed to provide for her and her mother-in-law.
During this time, Naomi gave Ruth orders to go and lie down by Boaz's feet. Everything Naomi told Ruth, she did without questioning her. Naomi's instructions led to Ruth influencing Boaz, and she became his wife. This led Ruth to become part of the ancestry of Jesus Christ. Even though Ruth was not an Israelite, she has her own book in the Bible. Why? Her faithfulness to her mother-in-law and eventually to God gave her favor in His sight.
We are also required to show faithfulness to God and to his people. Even when we don't know why God is asking us to do something, we need to obey. If you don't know how to hear God's voice, start by reading His Word. His Word is communication between God and men. Sometimes, we might find ourselves drawn to a particular scripture. At this point, we need to read and meditate on the scripture. Usually, God will show us through the scripture how to obey Him.
Esther
"[Mordecai] also gave him a copy of the decree to destroy them, that was given out in Shushan, that he might show it to Esther, explain it to her, and charge her to go to the king, make supplication to him, and plead with him for the lives of her people."
Esther 4:8
"And when the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, she obtained favor in his sight, and he held out to [her] the golden scepter that was in his hand. So Esther drew near and touched the tip of the scepter.
Then the king said to her, What will you have, Queen Ester? What is your request? It shall be give you, even to the half of the kingdom.
And Ester said, If it seems good to the king, let the king and Haman come this day to the dinner that I have prepared for the king.
Then the king said, Cause Haman to come quickly, that what Esther has said may be done.
So the king and Haman – came to the dinner that Esther had prepared.
And during the serving of wine, the king said to Esther, What is your petition? It shall be granted you. And what is your request? Even to the half of the kingdom, it shall be performed.
Then Esther said, My petition and my request is: If I have found favor in the sight of the king and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and to perform my request, let the king and Haman come tomorrow to the dinner that I shall prepare them; and I will do tomorrow as the king has said.
Haman went away that day joyful and elated in heart. But when he saw Mordecai at the king's gate refusing to stand up or show fear before him, he was filled with wrath against Mordecai."
Esther 5:2-9
"So the king and Haman came to dine with Esther the queen.
And the king said again to Esther on the second day when wine was being served, What is your petition, Queen Esther? It shall be granted. And what is your request? Even to the half of the kingdom, it shall be performed.
Then Queen Ester said, If I have found favor in your sight, O king and if it pleases the king, let my life be given me at my petition and my people at my request.
For we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, slain, and wiped out of existence! But if we had been sold for bondmen and bondwomen, I would have held my tongue, for out affliction is not to be compared with the bondage this will do to the king.
Then King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther, Who s he, and where is he who dares presume in his heart to do that?
And Ester said, An adversary and an enemy, even this wicked Haman. Then Haman was afraid before the king and queen.
So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the king's wrath was pacified."
Esther 7:1-6, 10
Esther was appointed to a position that allowed her to help save her people. Yet, she did not have to obey God. Coming before the king without permission was very dangerous, but she risked her life and asked the king and Haman to eat dinner with her. When they did, she asked if they could come the next night and eat dinner with her again. She was wise and used respect and honor toward the king to influence him. It was also God who she influenced with her obedience. When she obeyed, God gave her favor with the king.
By the time Queen Ester told the king about Haman's evil plan to get rid of her and her people, she was favored and received a positive answer. Haman was immediately hung on the gallows that Haman had built for Mordecai. After Haman died, Mordecai was placed over the house of Haman. Esther also asked the king to reverse the orders that Haman had set up against the Jews. This was all done, because Esther obeyed and did as God and Mordecai asked.
If we have problems in our lives and are low on influence, we need to look at our obedience. Do we honor God with our lives and do what His Word says? It is important to honestly answer this question. When we see disobedience in our life, then we need to immediately ask for forgiveness and start obeying God. Even if we have disobedience in our lives, doesn't mean there is no hope. God can change our lives through His Word, but only if we are willing to let Him change us.
The Challenge of the Week
"You have delivered me from the strivings of the people; You made me the head of the nations; a people I had not known served me.
As soon as they heard of me, they obeyed me; foreigners submitted themselves cringingly and yielded feigned obedience to me."
Psalm 18: 43-44
This week we need to understand the importance of influence. As Christians, we need to influence others, so they can start and develop their relationship with God. If we are not courageous, wise, faithful, and obedient, we will have a hard time influencing any one, especially if we are witnessing to people around us.
Sometimes, we may need to ask God how to influence others through courage, wisdom, faithfulness, and obedience. God will help us to live a life of influence and gain favor in the eyes of men. These character traits all come from time with God. Our time with God, as I have said before, comes from meditating on God's Word and praying. God has given us the ability to speak the Word to our problems and rely on Him completely.
As we study God's Word and pray, we will develop the same character traits seen in Deborah, Abigail, Ruth, and Queen Esther. They are developed over time, so we must patiently wait and get closer to God. God has a plan for our lives, just as He had a plan for Deborah, Abigail, Ruth, and Queen Esther. Every day, we need to work on our relationship with God and practicing these four character traits.