A huge part of being a spiritual influence is taking the time to be prepared (PART 1) but equally as important is simply giving people your time. Most of us don't give people the time of day because we make time for anybody else. Our agenda is our agenda and we value what we need to get done over the needs anybody else might have. I had a college professor who decided to start leaving for class 15 minutes earlier than usual just so he'd be free to talk with students he ran into along the way. He found that his walks to class were far less stressful, that he was never late and that his students found him more engaging. All because he took the time.
In John 13:35 Jesus tells us that the defining characteristic of a disciple of Christ is our love. "And they will know you are Christians by the way you love one another." This "one another love" Jesus refers to is not reserved for the fellow Christian but for all of mankind. It's easy to love those who believe what we do, act like we do, and look like we do but what about the rest of the world? Do you think Jesus' crazy love for us that which drove him to the cross was so that you and I could sit in our bible studies and down to lunch with friends after church and only talk about God amongst ourselves? No way! "For God so love THE WORLD that he gave his only son..." (John 3:16). Are there people in your world that need to hear and see the love of God? Do they see the same kind of crazy love in you that Jesus showed?
Paul talks about the importance of showing God's love to others in 1Thessalonians 2:8 when he says, "We loved you so much that we shared with you not only the gospel but our own lives as well." When we let people into our lives and take the time to get to know them so that they can get to know us, hopefully they catch a glimpse of Christ and what he has done in our life. If Christ has changed your life then it will bear fruit that is evidence of that change. Fruit such as an unconditional love, joy in the midst of sorrow, peace in the middle of the crazies times, patience with those that need a second chance, kindness to the unkind, goodness of character, gentleness when you want to be angry and self control to do what's best even if it's hard. These are the fruits of the spirit from Galatians 5:22 that develop because of the powerful work of the Holy Spirit in the deepest part of a believer - their heart. When the way a person thinks and lives is changed so that their entire life is littered with the attributes I just mentioned, people can't help but admire them. Think about any hero of yours or admirable person. I bet they possess several of these qualities. People are drawn to these characteristics because they are drawn to the character of God. 2 Corinthians 2:15 says that "We are the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing." Just like I can't stay away from the kitchen when cookies are baking, people you know will be attracted to God's love and godly character in your life. But they can't appreciate this if they don't know you.
So what can we do to "share our lives" with people as Paul suggests? It really doesn't matter what we do just as long as we're doing it. The non-denominational Christan outreach organization Young Life operates by the principle "Earn the right to be heard". Before any Young Life leader tells a high school or middle school kid about Jesus they first work to build a relationship and credibility to that their message matters. 1 Corinthians 13 says that "If we don't have love we are a crashing gong or clanging symbol". Crude summary of this verse, everything we say is pointless and annoying if people don't know that we love them. Do people close to you know that you're there for them and that you care for them? Do you communicate your care through your actions?
Showing people love and consideration is a big sacrifice because it takes time and not holding so tightly to our own agenda. But at the same time is is the most rewarding and fulfilling thing a person can do. Both of my parents decided to be followers of Christ because God's love was shown to the by their best friend. I'm sure that both of these friends gave up countless ours they could have been doing other things to spend time with my mom and dad but I'm so thankful that they did. I can't think of a better gift you can give a person than to tell them about the greatest treasure on earth - God's love. Start by asking God to show you one person who needs to know about God's love and commit to loving them no matter what. Before you ask that person to be your partner in Christ, spend some time being their partner in life.
"And all men will know that you're my disciples, if you love one another." - John 13:35
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