What is your impact on those around you? Some days my impact on others is in line with God, other days it is in line with my flesh and yet dare I admit there are days my impact is completely in line with Satan’s devilish schemes.
I wish I could say my impact on others is always with their best intentions in mind and aligns perfectly with God’s truths but I find my tongue is pretty deceitful and that sin really does matter.
For out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks. The good man brings good things out stored up in him and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. Matthew 12:34-35. Unfortunately, my life can be bitter and sweet in the same sentence. Controlling my tongue cannot be mastered by me, but only by the Holy Spirit. God has given me the choice to live in His Spirit or to live in the flesh every day. The choice is mine plain and simple.
I have to make a conscience effort to nail the 600 pound flesh woman that controls my thoughts, my actions and my mouth to the cross every morning and then when she wiggles herself loose and runs amuck wrongly impacting others, I have to chase her down, tackle her and drag her back to the cross. She fights me every step of the way…Why? because I actually like her! She is witty, funny, quick on her feet, sassy, flirty, just plain fun to hang out with. Die to self, I say… and she says but remember when…and then I start laughing so hard my cheeks hurt. We reminisce a while over Jr. Mints and Dt. Mountain Dew, laughing about all of the adventures we have been on in life and all the adventures yet to be, it becomes harder to nail her back up there. When we are interrupted by someone in need, she whispers that she will have self control and she will sit quietly in the corner of my heart and just watch while I help this person. She promised to be quiet, so I agree and I let her sit in there, but one prideful statement at a time she takes over infiltrating my day and those around me. It isn’t until I am rebuked by another that I realize flesh woman must go back to the cross and that my sin matters to God.
Please pray with me today that out of a willing spirit and an obedient heart we can impact people for God. That we can live in the Spirit to give the glory to God on high and that we can live the life designed by God to impact His Kingdom.