“You are the light that shines for the world to see. You are like a city built on a hill that cannot be hidden. People don’t hide a lamp under a bowl. They put it on a lampstand. Then the light shines for everyone in the house. In the same way, you should be a light for other people. Live so that they will see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven.”—Matthew 5:14-16 (ERV)
You cannot even imagine the impact that you will have on the lives of others by simply, quietly displaying godly character in your daily life. We must walk as men and women of faith and integrity because so many others are watching us as they make decisions about whether or not to follow Christ. People will be influenced more by WHO you ARE than by WHAT you SAY; or as Ralph Waldo Emerson put it, “What you are shouts so loud in my ears I cannot hear what you say.”
“Set an example for the believers in what you say and in how you live. Also set an example in how you love and in what you believe. Show the believers how to be pure.”—1 Timothy 4:12 (NIRV)
“I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you.”—John 13:15 (NLT)
“You know how you should follow our example … We did it in order to be a model for you to follow.”—2 Thessalonians 3:7-9 (NIRV)
“ Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them … not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.”—1 Peter 5:2-3 (NIV)
Think about those who have influenced your life. Was it what they said, or was it how they lived their lives that impacted you the most?
Early in my Christian walk, a godly man and his family befriended me. The Cummins family invited me to ride to church with them on Sundays. Then after church, they regularly invited me to join them for lunch at their home on Sunday afternoons. I would usually spend entire Sunday afternoons with them, enjoying their company, talking about the Lord or joining them in projects around their home. Sharing regular time with Dan Cummins and his family made a profound impact on me. This was the most dedicated Christian family I had ever known. Their lives and their behavior were the same at home as they were at church. It was the first time that I had ever met a Christian family who consistently lived what they said they believed. They were wonderful role models for me, and their lives motivated and inspired me to also live the Christian life on a daily basis.
It should be no surprise that Dan Cummins has now received a higher calling to minister in Washington D.C. to members of Congress on both sides of the political aisle. As an official congressional staff member, “Pastor Dan” moves freely through the halls of the U.S. Capitol building, providing encouragement, prayer support, and counsel to individual members of Congress and their staff members. As a trusted minister of God, Dan is regularly called upon to open sessions of the U.S. House of Representatives with prayer, standing at the same podium used by the President of the United States during the State of the Union address.
On the other hand, not all Christians are role models with a positive impact. An old friend of mine informed me that he was leaving the church he had been attending. I was surprised because he had previously been very involved in the activities of his church. When I asked him why, he responded, “The pastor of that church had numerous affairs and is in jail right now for indecency with a child, so nevertheless my faith was pretty shot after that.”
The way that we live our lives impacts the lives of others every single day. We have no choice about that. We *do *have a choice about what kind of impact that will be. What kind of impact will you choose to make today?
