A
ll people exert influence in one way or another. We know that’s true of the boss or the teacher or the judge. But, I’m convinced it’s true of us all. Every time we have an encounter with another human being, we can encourage him with a positvie word, tear him down with a harsh criticism, or make him feel like a nobody by ignoring him. As I have studied the life of Jesus in Mark’s gospel over the years, I’ve become increasingly convinced that Jesus urged his followers to adopt with intentionality a distinctive way of using the influence we have. I believe that this “way of Jesus,” adapted and targeted to fit particular settings and contexts, is the only one that will build lasting and God-honoring relationships in our world. I am convinced about this for one reason, i.e., because it is what Jesus taught and did personally.
Never in history did anyone exert as much health-giving, hope-offering impact on people as Jesus. However, it is clear to me that for Jesus, the starting point for utilizing his influence was different from what many advocate in 21st-century America. The Christ-like person starts from the clear admonition to use any influence he has to serve. Jesus called us to serve in God’s mission, serve God’s people, and serve to God’s glory. As Jesus declared, “Even the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).
Think of your family. What would happen if every person in the family made this commitment? “I will use every word I speak, every look on my face, and every deed that I do to bring peace and joy to my family today.” That kind of family would surely be different from most families in our community. This, of course, is what the Apostle Paul was longing for in our homes, churches, and communities when he wrote Philippians 2:3–5
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,
not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus
-Philippians 2:3–5
I know that this is not the way we are often taught to use authority in most current leadership books. But, Jesus’ way was rarely the way of the world. You have heard me say it before: “There is a paradoxical topography in the kingdom of God.”
In God’s eyes, the way up is down.
To His Glory,
Dr. Greg Waybright
Senior Pastor