Choosing To Be A Positive Influence

Choosing to Be a Positive Influence

You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is good for you. You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is beneficial. Don’t be concerned for your own good but for the good of others. 1 Corinthians 10:23-24

I don’t have a particular problem with alcohol. I get that Jesus turned water into wine. I understand that alcohol has been around and is legal for people of a certain drinking age established by the individual states. I take issue with the prevalence of alcohol abuse.

And so I decided long ago that since I could not see any way that it was going to help me and it wasn’t something I would miss, I would choose not to drink. Besides, if I don’t drink with a friend who has a problem keeping his drinking under control, I might influence him in a positive way to get help.

Another thing I have tried to choose carefully is my speaking venues. It’s a concern my friend James Brown shares with me as a fellow believer. We both get quite a few requests to speak at corporations and have debated to what extent we should look at the values of the company or its products to determine where to speak or evaluate the impact we might have by speaking there. In certain instances, speaking at a particular company might be permissible, but might cause someone who doesn’t know Christ to question our witness or values, so in those situations we’ve each declined.

We all need to be conscious of areas where we can be a positive influence. We also need to be aware of our behavior or lifestyle choices that could have a negative and potentially destructive influence on others around us. We don’t need to make decisions on the basis of legalism, but rather what might help or harm someone else or have no effect at all.

We are allowed broad freedoms to live as we choose, and God grants us the free will to make decisions for our lives, but we need to understand that everything we do is observed by others.

Each day, you are sending a message to the people around you and some of them are extremely impressionable. Is your message one you are proud to deliver?

Uncommon Key > Be careful to choose what is good for you as well as those around you. The choices you make can greatly influence others. Remember that before you make any decisions.