This past weekend, many women learned from our Lead with Passion equipping event that influencing is leading. You influence someone daily, but some have different platforms to lead from because of their gifting and ability. However, the starting block for all Christian leaders/influencers comes from desperation for Jesus.
I realize that might sound “churchy,” but let me explain. God uses all of us. And we are all sinners. Yet, the Lord works through us. As He does, this brings us great joy and purpose. But our trials in life can lead us to despair and make us desperate for help. Or can lead us to despair with no ability to hope, have faith, or trust God. God knows this. The great compassion of the Lord is He will send a “conduit of hope” to this person. This “conduit of hope” is someone who became desperate for Jesus, and the God of compassion renewed and restored them through another “conduit of hope.” In your sphere of influence, you act as a channel to transmit the hope of Jesus.
The book of Mark tells the story of Jesus sending the disciples across the lake in a boat, and a violent storm happens while they are on the lake. They were in this struggle for most of the night. Their situation seemed impossible, exhausting, frustrating, and potentially dangerous. Note: they are not in the storm because they had been disobedient or created it on their own because of their choices, but because they obeyed Jesus. Jesus could have calmed the storm from the land and relieved the difficulty, but He walked on water to them instead. Why? Why did Jesus bring the storm? He was not after the difficulty but after the men in the middle of the difficulty. Jesus wanted to change everything they thought about themselves and their lives. The disciples were terrified when they saw Him walking on water. Why? They knew Jesus and obeyed Jesus, but what they had yet to develop was to be desperate for Jesus. They were afraid because they were not expectant of His help. All they saw was their storm. They wanted out, but because their focus was on their strength, they could not be desperate for Jesus. This self-reliance caused them great fear and struggle. The compassion of Jesus was He went looking for the disciples, yet the disciples were not looking for Him. Jesus put Himself in their storm.
When you put God in His rightful place, on the Throne, and take yourself off, you can start living desperate for Jesus. This daily “desperation” becomes a “conduit of hope’ to be used by the Lord to strengthen and sustain His children. That’s what I call Kingdom influence.
