INFLUENCERS FOR LOVING OBEDIENCE OR HATEFUL DISOBEDIENCE

INFLUENCERS FOR LOVING OBEDIENCE OR HATEFUL DISOBEDIENCE 

Then the officers shall add, “Is anyone afraid or fainthearted? Let him go home so that his fellow soldiers will not become disheartened too.” —Deuteronomy 20:8 

            Negative attitudes of a person or group can have a permeating, negative effect on others as well.  We saw this when the twelve went into Canaan to scout out the land.  Ten of them said, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.”And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored” (Numbers 13:31-32).  It was because of this “bad report” that—

That night all the members of the community raised their voices and wept aloud. All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, “If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this wilderness! Why is the Lord bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? Our wives and children will be taken as plunder. Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?” And they said to each other, “We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt.” —Numbers 14:1-4

            The bad report negatively impacted the whole community and they wanted to back to Egypt even though the Lord told them to go into Canaan.  “Don’t you know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough?” (I Corinthians 5:6).  Negative people can also ”leaven” a whole group of people.

            What kind of influence are you?  Do you impact people to faithfully follow our Lord or would you rather have them faithfully follow what you say and disobey Him?  I don’t know about you but I desire for people to faithfully follow what our Lord God Almighty has communicated.

My Dear Father this is my desire to follow You and You alone.  It is my desire also that others follow You and You alone.  May I point them to You and not to myself.  Oh, may this be the case by the power of Your Holy Spirit and in authority of Jesus.  So be it! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g02mOpdNDtY

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