Making the Right Impact
(Prov 10:17 NIV) He who heeds discipline shows the way to life, but whoever ignores correction leads others astray.
This morning we continue In this text Solomon contrasts those who heed discipline with those to ignore correction. The Amplified Bible translation of this verse says, “He who heeds instruction and correction is [not only himself] in the way of life [but also] is a way of life for others. And he who neglects or refuses reproof [not only himself] goes astray [but also] causes to err and is a path toward ruin for others.” I see two points in this text:
1. Our personal development: In our lesson from Proverbs 10:10 we learned that God is a loving, caring, and sharing heavenly Father. As our Father He has a responsibility to discipline us when we go astray. The title of the message was, “A refusal to correct is a refusal to love.” If God failed to correct us it would mean that He failed to love us. The reality is that His love is unfailing. He loves us unconditionally and He is ever ready to get us back on the right path. What this also means, however, is that He is ever ready to correct us when we need it. Our job then, as loving children, is to accept and apply His correction; so that we can become the men and women that the Father desires for us to be. I know that many do not like to be corrected, but the reality is that we all make mistakes. We all go astray. We miss the mark from time to time. If we would be honest with ourselves, we would realize that the only thing keeping us from acknowledging our shortcomings is pride. As believers, if we really want to develop into mature citizens in the Kingdom of God, we will have to remain humble and teachable. The more we understand our weaknesses, the more God can help us address them. Our goal should be personal development, but you cannot be developed if you refuse to be taught.
2. The Impact we can have on others: The selfish person may pursue personal development, but they pursue it with the goal of making themselves look better. Pride supplies the fuel to their fire. Their focus is on their lives and their lives alone! However, the humble and submitted child of God knows that their life is not their own. They understand that they were born with and for a purpose and God’s purposes are never limited to one person. His plans for you are too big to just impact you alone. He puts His best IN you and then places you IN environments where you can make a difference. Jesus said that we are to be the “Light of the world” (Mat 5:14). Light does its best work in the dark. God wants to be able to plant you as light in the midst of darkness, so that His glory, in you, could pierce through the bitterness, hatred, malice, and strife of others. The Father wants to be a blessing TO you, so that He can be a blessing THROUGH you. When God called Abraham He promised to bless him, but the overall purpose of the Blessing was so that Abraham could BE a blessing to others (Gen 12:1,2). The reality is that we will all impact others – one way or another. We all have some level of influence over others. Solomon’s point is that if we accept God’s discipline and correction we can influence others in the right way. However, if we fail to be developed, then we will influence others in the wrong way. And the sobering reality to all of this is that every one of us will be judged some day.
So what does this mean? God has blessed you to have a sphere of influence. For some the sphere is bigger than for others, but nonetheless we all have one. The question is: what are you doing with that influence? Are you allowing God to develop you, so that you can influence others in the right way? Or are you rejecting His discipline and thereby putting yourself and others at risk? Remember, you will have to give account for the impact (good or bad) that you have had on others.
Father, I thank You for Your Word. I declare, by faith, that I heed Your discipline. I remain humble and teachable. I submit to Your process of development. In so doing, I know that I am being prepared to both BE Blessed and to BE a Blessing to others! I release myself to You this morning – spirit, soul, and body – to be used of You, for Your glory. Use me Father to positively impact the lives of others today! In Jesus’ name. Amen!
(Prov 10:17 NIV) He who heeds discipline shows the way to life, but whoever ignores correction leads others astray.
This morning we continue In this text Solomon contrasts those who heed discipline with those to ignore correction. The Amplified Bible translation of this verse says, “He who heeds instruction and correction is [not only himself] in the way of life [but also] is a way of life for others. And he who neglects or refuses reproof [not only himself] goes astray [but also] causes to err and is a path toward ruin for others.” I see two points in this text:
1. Our personal development: In our lesson from Proverbs 10:10 we learned that God is a loving, caring, and sharing heavenly Father. As our Father He has a responsibility to discipline us when we go astray. The title of the message was, “A refusal to correct is a refusal to love.” If God failed to correct us it would mean that He failed to love us. The reality is that His love is unfailing. He loves us unconditionally and He is ever ready to get us back on the right path. What this also means, however, is that He is ever ready to correct us when we need it. Our job then, as loving children, is to accept and apply His correction; so that we can become the men and women that the Father desires for us to be. I know that many do not like to be corrected, but the reality is that we all make mistakes. We all go astray. We miss the mark from time to time. If we would be honest with ourselves, we would realize that the only thing keeping us from acknowledging our shortcomings is pride. As believers, if we really want to develop into mature citizens in the Kingdom of God, we will have to remain humble and teachable. The more we understand our weaknesses, the more God can help us address them. Our goal should be personal development, but you cannot be developed if you refuse to be taught.
2. The Impact we can have on others: The selfish person may pursue personal development, but they pursue it with the goal of making themselves look better. Pride supplies the fuel to their fire. Their focus is on their lives and their lives alone! However, the humble and submitted child of God knows that their life is not their own. They understand that they were born with and for a purpose and God’s purposes are never limited to one person. His plans for you are too big to just impact you alone. He puts His best IN you and then places you IN environments where you can make a difference. Jesus said that we are to be the “Light of the world” (Mat 5:14). Light does its best work in the dark. God wants to be able to plant you as light in the midst of darkness, so that His glory, in you, could pierce through the bitterness, hatred, malice, and strife of others. The Father wants to be a blessing TO you, so that He can be a blessing THROUGH you. When God called Abraham He promised to bless him, but the overall purpose of the Blessing was so that Abraham could BE a blessing to others (Gen 12:1,2). The reality is that we will all impact others – one way or another. We all have some level of influence over others. Solomon’s point is that if we accept God’s discipline and correction we can influence others in the right way. However, if we fail to be developed, then we will influence others in the wrong way. And the sobering reality to all of this is that every one of us will be judged some day.
So what does this mean? God has blessed you to have a sphere of influence. For some the sphere is bigger than for others, but nonetheless we all have one. The question is: what are you doing with that influence? Are you allowing God to develop you, so that you can influence others in the right way? Or are you rejecting His discipline and thereby putting yourself and others at risk? Remember, you will have to give account for the impact (good or bad) that you have had on others.
Father, I thank You for Your Word. I declare, by faith, that I heed Your discipline. I remain humble and teachable. I submit to Your process of development. In so doing, I know that I am being prepared to both BE Blessed and to BE a Blessing to others! I release myself to You this morning – spirit, soul, and body – to be used of You, for Your glory. Use me Father to positively impact the lives of others today! In Jesus’ name. Amen!
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