The World Needs a Stable Influence
Since September when stores put out their Christmas displays, we’ve been under the influence of the Christmas season. Game was on for that store to sell, sell and we to buy, buy. Those stores succeeded.
The phrase,” under the influence” is typically used in defining someone’s mental or physical faculties that are impaired because they are intoxicated or on drugs. I’ll admit that I have let the to-do’s impair my thinking about this most wonderful time of the year. But, I flipped that script when I started giving.
Carl and I did things differently this year. Well, that makes sense. Everything is different for us as newly weds. We had an early Christmas family celebration at our place with Carl’s family. What a sweet time we had enjoying our meal together, followed by my “Christmas word” letter and symbolic gift then opening gifts from each other.
Every year I create a “word” message for my family (now includes Carl’s family) that comes with a small token of my love to emphasize my “word”. I always have a theme that I hope will encourage and bless each one with wisdom I may have received in the last year.
This year, my symbolic word was “sunflowers”. It was given to them in my explanation, with an individualized letter and a silver-plated box that contained a sunflower Christmas ornament and key chain for each one.
I wrote a blog on August 1st that spoke of the beautiful examples of God’s handiwork in His creation. That blog was about the beauty of sunflowers and their innate ability to literally follow the sun as it crosses the sky. And I explained that our Savior, the Son of God, continues to shine His bright light as WE follow Him.
Carl and I were so enamored with that explanation, that we chose the sunflower to be the theme of our wedding just a couple of weeks later.
I think about how I let myself get so caught up in all the to-do’s of Christmas that I failed to keep my eyes on THE ONE Who came to earth to — not just symbolically, but to REALLY be THE ONE to help us hold IT together — whatever that IT may be.
Those of us who are believers in the true meaning of Christmas, can stay “high” on the Christmas spirit. We are “under the influence” of He Who is the originator of joy, peace, and love.
No one has influenced and changed the world the way Jesus has. And UNDER HIS INFLUENCE, more lives have been positively changed than by anything or anyone else in history. I feel sorry for those who don’t know Jesus.
No other great leader has inspired so many positive changes in the lives of His followers as Jesus. Jesus is the only leader Who is alive and well and lives in our hearts when we invite Him in. People who encounter the risen Christ are totally transformed. Their outlook on life is altered forever.
Maybe you are not in the Christmas spirit. Please check out what or Who is influencing you. And what does YOUR influence look like in impacting others about Jesus?
Perhaps it’s time we all took a trip to the stable. It just might be that we’ll be influenced by the precious baby in the manger, and we’ll become STABLE influencers.