So far, we have looked at how a woman's spirit has an influence on everyone she comes in contact with, whether she realizes it or not. God also has a divine sphere of influence for each and every woman, that may change over time.
Your sphere of influence is wherever God places you, for as long as He places you there.
Sometimes our spheres are expanded; sometimes they are focused and individual.
The apostle Paul is a great example. Shortly after his conversion on the Damascus road, he went to Jerusalem where his influence for the Gospel was met with skepticism. He had, after all, gone to Damascus to persecute the Christians, not join them!
The truth of his transformation was verified by others, particularly Ananias and Barnabas; but Paul’s influence was a threat to the Jewish leaders, so he was sent to Caesarea and his hometown of Tarsus (Acts 9).
Over and over throughout Paul’s life, his sphere of influence changed. For one, he traveled as a missionary throughout Asia Minor sharing the gospel everywhere he went. Then he was imprisoned.
You might be tempted to think that his influence was effectively neutralized by imprisonment. But no, God had actually expanded Paul’s influence. By limiting the face-to-face contact Paul had with others, the ministry of his letters lingers on as God-breathed Scripture today.
Along the way and often in prison, Paul wrote Romans, I and II Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, I and II Timothy, Titus, and Philemon. Perhaps even Hebrews, we don’t know for sure.
Everywhere Paul went, he was an influence for Christ: when he sang in the Philippian jail with Silas, when he appeared to Governor Felix and then Festus, when he was shipwrecked near Malta, and when he was placed under Roman guard.
Paul claimed no position except bondservant of Jesus Christ. All of his former titles and positions of influence, he discarded as worthless (Philippians 3:4-9).
Think of Daniel and of Joseph. The high positions of influence came after an evident God-filled spirit. Daniel’s sphere of influence changed from that of a young captive from a conquered land to a high-ranking official in a world empire. Even with that “promotion,” his influence was most profound when he spoke from inside a lion’s den. (Daniel ch. 1-6)
Joseph went from favored son to bartered slave. From administrator for Potiphar to falsely accused prisoner. And as we fondly recall, he was finally given charge over all of Egypt, answerable only to Pharaoh himself. (Genesis ch. 37-41)
Need some female examples? Then think of Rahab the harlot who hid Israeli spies inside of Jericho, married an Israelite, and became the mother of Boaz, thus entering the lineage of Christ (that’s right! Read it in Matt. 1:5). What about Mary, the mother of Jesus. Or the woman at the well who told her whole village about Christ. Then there are the three women who came to the tomb to anoint Jesus’ body—they were told by the angels to bear the news of His resurrection to the rest of His followers.
God made you as a woman to have a spirit of influence, and He has given you a sphere of influence.
Be encouraged today to manifest His Spirit through you wherever you go, to whomever you meet.
Sunday, November 05, 2006
Women of Influence: Pt. 2 What Influence?
Two entries in one week!?! Well, I am catching up after a weekend women’s retreat. I hope you don’t mind.
The last entry introduced my belief that every woman has a God-given spirit of influence and a sphere of influence. That influence is not limited to possessing a title, a position, or a place in the history books.
Some women fear that they have no influence at all. Perhaps that influence has been diminished from what God had intended. Perhaps the women have believed a lie that they have no influence.
Others fear that they cannot have a positive influence because they are not perfect (who is?) or because of something bad they have done in the past, even though they have repented and have been forgiven.
II Timothy 1:7 tells us that “God has not given us a spirit of fear…but of love, power, and a sound mind.” Some translations say “self-discipline.”
All the fruits of God’s Spirit flow out of this (Galatians 5:22): love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
Every woman has a spirit of influence. That spirit will be a godly one if we are walking in God’s spirit and letting Him produce His life through ours.
Every woman has also been given a sphere of influence. It may be a workplace, a neighborhood, a Sunday School class, or a group of friends. If she is married, certainly it is her husband. And if she is a mom, it is her children and one day, her grandchildren.
Each moment of contact with other people is a sphere of influence, however brief.
To be continued...
The last entry introduced my belief that every woman has a God-given spirit of influence and a sphere of influence. That influence is not limited to possessing a title, a position, or a place in the history books.
Some women fear that they have no influence at all. Perhaps that influence has been diminished from what God had intended. Perhaps the women have believed a lie that they have no influence.
Others fear that they cannot have a positive influence because they are not perfect (who is?) or because of something bad they have done in the past, even though they have repented and have been forgiven.
II Timothy 1:7 tells us that “God has not given us a spirit of fear…but of love, power, and a sound mind.” Some translations say “self-discipline.”
All the fruits of God’s Spirit flow out of this (Galatians 5:22): love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
Every woman has a spirit of influence. That spirit will be a godly one if we are walking in God’s spirit and letting Him produce His life through ours.
Every woman has also been given a sphere of influence. It may be a workplace, a neighborhood, a Sunday School class, or a group of friends. If she is married, certainly it is her husband. And if she is a mom, it is her children and one day, her grandchildren.
Each moment of contact with other people is a sphere of influence, however brief.
To be continued...
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Women of Influence: Pt. 1. A Spirit of Influence
My teenage daughter is currently working on an English paper with a focus on American women writers and their influence on 19th century society. Two of the top names that have come up are Harriet Beecher Stowe, author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, and Louisa May Alcott, author of Little Women.
Stowe’s book notably stirred the debate over slavery and impassioned abolitionists, leading President Lincoln to remark that her book actually started the Civil War!
Little Women is beloved by its readers primarily for its heroine Jo who resists 19th century stereotypes for traditional female roles. Set as a novel, the book influenced its readers to broaden their view of a woman’s place in society beyond solely that of a wife and mother.
While it is easy to document the influence of these and other female writers simply because their beliefs were penned in ink, countless other women also wrote on the pages of that era in so many different ways. (Remember Clara Barton?)
Sometimes, women today believe that to have influence, one must write a book, hold a position, or lead a group.
I used to think that as well, and for a while, I sought position, status, and yes, even some power—thinking of that as “having influence.” Certainly, a position of responsibility has a measure of influence. The mistake is limiting influence to those roles.
Then there came a time when my roles outside of home were set aside. I remained a wife and a mother. I became a graduate student and then teacher to my three children when we began homeschooling.
What I learned was that my influence had not diminished; my sphere of influence had simply changed. Since my role was more personal than professional, I also came to realize that my spirit was more influential than my knowledge or ability.
My children responded to me as their teacher in direct correlation to my personal response to them. If I was too critical in my spirit or too harsh, they would wilt and be diminished. It did not matter if what I said to them was correct. What mattered to them was the spirit in which I spoke it.
A woman’s spirit is the most influential part of her being. It is what she brings into every room she walks into and to every person she encounters. It may be a harsh, unforgiving, arrogant, critical, or embittered spirit. Or it may be a gentle, loving spirit. A kind and tender spirit. A humble, patient, and gracious spirit. It may be a discerning spirit. Or even a joyful and energetic spirit.
Every woman has influence because every woman has a powerful spirit with which she engages humanity.
Stowe’s book notably stirred the debate over slavery and impassioned abolitionists, leading President Lincoln to remark that her book actually started the Civil War!
Little Women is beloved by its readers primarily for its heroine Jo who resists 19th century stereotypes for traditional female roles. Set as a novel, the book influenced its readers to broaden their view of a woman’s place in society beyond solely that of a wife and mother.
While it is easy to document the influence of these and other female writers simply because their beliefs were penned in ink, countless other women also wrote on the pages of that era in so many different ways. (Remember Clara Barton?)
Sometimes, women today believe that to have influence, one must write a book, hold a position, or lead a group.
I used to think that as well, and for a while, I sought position, status, and yes, even some power—thinking of that as “having influence.” Certainly, a position of responsibility has a measure of influence. The mistake is limiting influence to those roles.
Then there came a time when my roles outside of home were set aside. I remained a wife and a mother. I became a graduate student and then teacher to my three children when we began homeschooling.
What I learned was that my influence had not diminished; my sphere of influence had simply changed. Since my role was more personal than professional, I also came to realize that my spirit was more influential than my knowledge or ability.
My children responded to me as their teacher in direct correlation to my personal response to them. If I was too critical in my spirit or too harsh, they would wilt and be diminished. It did not matter if what I said to them was correct. What mattered to them was the spirit in which I spoke it.
A woman’s spirit is the most influential part of her being. It is what she brings into every room she walks into and to every person she encounters. It may be a harsh, unforgiving, arrogant, critical, or embittered spirit. Or it may be a gentle, loving spirit. A kind and tender spirit. A humble, patient, and gracious spirit. It may be a discerning spirit. Or even a joyful and energetic spirit.
Every woman has influence because every woman has a powerful spirit with which she engages humanity.
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