PREAMBLE
The above quote is an extract from John Maxwell's Leadership 101 where he x-rays the qualities of a good leader. One of such is that Leadership entails nothing more or less than influence. Hence every successful leader should be the one that commands influence.
While I was reading a verse from the Scripture Matthew 5:14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. God just flashed the idea of influence in leadership to me again. Then a scene just played in my mind immediately and I remembered that I've been an influence to a little kid in our compound. If I'm not mincing words, I think that I think that in a compound occupied by more than 8 tenants, I happen to be the only person that the child respects, fears or is afraid of because of the stern look I give to her whenever she misbehaves like cry, disobeys the parents or just acts naughty.
It's funny the level of influence that I exert on the kid so much that even when she does not see me face to face, anytime she cries or becomes naughty, when the mum just threatens that she would tell me about her naughtiness, she would keep calm and if she still misbehaves, I just need to clear my throat and ask "whose disturbing the peace of this compound?". and PEACE WOULD BE STILL . Believe me, once I make this statement, everywhere becomes calm. The statement is more effective than even the mum's flogging. So as it is now, the child doesn't dare me till date and that's a known fact to the child, the parents and even the tenants and neighbours.
Relating this to the Bible, Jesus admonishes us in this Bible verse to be LIGHT of the world.
14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Matthew 5:14-16 King James Version (KJV)
You know the LIGHT does, it ILLUMINATES and overshadow or destroys darkness. We are that light I'm sure we are all aware of this. But what gets me worried that I cant claim to be a light if I cannot SHINE my LIGHT everywhere that people can see it and glorify God.
This implies that our LIGHT as Believers and the ones chosen by His Son Jesus, we should influence the our environment. We should carry a radiant LIGHT that would make satan (darkness) disappear, vanish or cease to operate whenever they see us. Remember, that time in the Bible where demons had to plead with Jesus to let them alone and torment them not, but He cast them out.
Sp this is now a wake up call to steemchurch community to reach out our LIGHTS at our locality and win souls that have been covered in darkness and bring the to the marvelous LIGHT which is described in 1 Peter 2:6
Let us try to ensure that we get new converts to see the this GREAT LIGHT and I know that men would glorify God in heaven.
But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; New American Standard Bible