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Today, I’m asking myself whether I can be trusted with much. Do I look at a subset of gifts God has given me and determine that they are the only ones God cares about, or do I include all of the blessings and attributes of my existence to serve God? I think I have a tendency to pick and choose.<\/p>\n
Luke 16:10<\/strong>: \u201cWhoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.\u201d<\/p>\n This Bible verse has been set before me for some time. It reminds me that God has given me many things, not just skills. He has given me relationships, experiences, knowledge, wealth, power, privilege, and authority. None of these are world-beaters. My sphere of influence is limited. Still, they are gifts from God to be used for God.<\/p>\n It brings to mind the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14\u201330). Each servant did not receive the same amount, but each according to their ability. My gifts are shaped by what God has in store for me. Everyone is different. Each of us has a different basket of goods. Yet each of us is charged with using what we are given to advance God\u2019s kingdom on Earth.<\/p>\n We will all have to stand before Christ and give an account of how we used what we were given. That occasion will not be about wealth or position; it will be about how we gained and used influence.<\/p>\n Acts 1:8<\/strong>, \u201cBut you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.\u201d<\/p>\n Some years ago, I had an epiphany about purpose. I always valued purpose as a calling, a job, a task, or perhaps a position. It was, more or less, tangible, with a clear objective or endpoint. The activity shifted as the season of my life changed, but the core objective stayed the same. Then it dawned on me: purpose was about influence. As I developed, my sphere of influence grew.<\/p>\n It didn’t matter which tasks or authority I was trusted with; the goal was the same, to increase my sphere of influence. what it wasn’t about using a job or position to expand God\u2019s Kingdom. It was about using the influence I had gained from that job or position to expand His Kingdom.<\/p>\nTrust<\/h2>\n
Gaining Influence<\/h2>\n