Spiritual Disciplines (1 of 7) :: Spiritual Influence

Mistakenly we think that what we teach others comes primarily from what we choose to teach them. The reality is that most of what we teach others comes from our blind side. In other words, the things we do when we don’t think other people are looking.

“Who you are speaks so loudly, I can’t hear what you’re saying.”

Not long ago we had a Spiritual Leadership class on being a Spiritual Leader.  You may not think of yourself as a Spiritual Leader but we all are.

• If you are a parent, you are without a doubt a Spiritual Leader.
• If you have a job, you are in a place of Spiritual influence.
• If you walk your dog through the neighborhood, you are in a place of Spiritual influence.
• If you have hair and get it cut somewhere, you are in a place of Spiritual influence.

Get the idea…

The real question isn’t “Am I influencing others?” it is, “How am I influencing others?”  Most of our investment in others is NOT directly taught it is caught.  Case in point: the number of people at the Spiritual Leadership class who said that the mentors in their lives never even knew they were mentors at all.   Therefore Spiritual Disciplines are important not only for our own Spiritual growth but also in our Spiritual investment in others.  How will they ever know of Jesus if we do not act like we know Him.

So, discipline number one: Be aware of your sphere of Spiritual influence.

See Titus 2:1-15 for Biblical direction in this area.