Quote from Forum Archives on March 18, 2002, 10:46 pm

Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>

Dear friends,

Do you have any idea what an influence you may have on others
around you? Your influence may be positive, your influence may
be negative, but there is no doubt about it, your life and mine
have an influence in the people around us.

I have experienced strong, destructive, negative influences
from others. At one time in my life, I permitted one such
influence to deeply affect me. What was the result? I became
deeply depressed, even to the point of despairing my own life.
How could I possibly be a positive influence upon others in such
a situation? Well, I couldn't.

But that is not the end of my story. There were others who
were just as positive where one was negative. People prayed for
me, they helped me, they never gave up on me, even when there
wasn't much to like or appreciate about me at all.

That's precisely the way I believe God treats me - He deeply
loves me and cares for me, even when there isn't much at all to
love and care for. But you see, I am His Creation - and so are
YOU. Each of us is deeply loved, fully accepted, and completely
forgiven, regardless of where we have been or what we have done.
I've done some pretty ugly things, too, my friends, too ugly to
write about here. Some of you can undoubtedly relate to such a
statement, though.

What influence can I possibly have, then? Well, my life is a
testimony of how I can be lost in my own destructive thoughts,
yet God can take my life and make something out of it. I come to
you today, not as some perfected creature - but I AM a "work in
progress", deeply loved, fully accepted, and completely
forgiven. My life has been made new, and I am drawn to Christ,
and motivated to encourage others, not for any personal gain, but
to share my own hope and bring the hope of Christ to others.

Because God first loved me, I can love. I care about what
happens to others. Though I only know a few of you personally,
as brothers and sisters in Christ, I share a common desire to
know the One who made us and to share in His eternal glory. I
cannot begin to imagine the agony that anyone will face who
cannot share an eternity with God - that's enough Hell that I
would never, ever want anyone, even the vilest, foulest,
individual to have to face. Now, not everyone is prepared to
seek God, and as a result, some won't share. But I wouldn't wish
that upon anyone, least of all, my friends to whom I devote time
and energy each week to write and share.

Won't you also be an influence to those around you, in a
positive way?

Your Brother in Christ,
Brian

From: "ChristianNet" <christiannet@frater.net>
Subject: [WFT] Tue 19 Mar 02 - The power of influence

WORD FOR TODAY by Bob Gass

19 Mar 2002

The power of influence

" DEMETRIUS IS WELL SPOKEN OF BY EVERYONE - AND EVEN BY THE TRUTH
ITSELF... " 3 JOHN 12 : (NIV)

Compare these two stories: the first is about a major
cross-country race in Malaysia that covered a seven-mile course.
Two hours after the race began there wasn't a runner in sight, so
the officials became concerned. When they sent out a car to find
them, they discovered that all of them were at least six miles
away, running in the wrong direction. What happened? The runner
leading the pack took a wrong turn at the fifth check point - and
all the others followed him.

The second story is about a sociology class that conducted a
study of 200 young people from the inner city of Baltimore. It
concluded, "Not one of them has a chance." Twenty-five years
later a sociology professor did a follow-up study, and located
180 of the original 200. Of that number, 176 had become doctors,
lawyers, ministers, and successful business people. When he
asked each of them how they were able to escape their predicted
future, they all pointed to one teacher. The professor found
that teacher, and asked her what she'd done to make such an
impact on them. She just smiled and said, "I loved them, and
they knew it!" Paul writes, "Love never fails" (1 Cor 13:8 NIV).

John Maxwell says, " During your lifetime you will directly or
indirectly influence the lives of at least 10,000 other people."
The question you need to ask yourself is, "How - will I influence
them?"

Printed copies of "The Word for Today" are available free from UCB,
PO Box 255, Stoke-on-Trent, ST4 8YY, England. <www.ucb.co.uk>

COPYRIGHT INFORMATION
As a gift to the body of Christ, permission is given to churches and
Christian organisations to copy up to a maximum of 52 daily excerpts
per year. Such excerpts must acknowledge: The Word for Today as the
source, give the UCB address and inform that free issues of the
daily devotional are available.

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=====
--
Brian Masinick, "The Mas", mailto:masinick@yahoo.com
Home page: www.geocities.com/masinick/

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