How are you influencing your environment?
Are you a good influence?
Are you a negative influence?
Like it or not you are influencing your environment. As a follower of Christ, we have been commissioned to influence our world, as He would and did. Let’s look at another way today to be a good, Christ-like influence, by looking at the “N” in “influence”
Non-Condemning
Most people know John 3:16 by memory:
“For God so Loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever would believe in Him, would not perish, but have everlasting life.”
But do you know what John 3:17 says?
“For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.”
Let’s look at a definition of “condemn”
con·demn
/kənˈdem/ verb – express complete disapproval of, typically in public, censure.
So. . . “God did not send His Son into the world to [express complete disapproval of, or to censure] the world, but to save the world through Him.”
This makes us as Christians uncomfortable, doesn’t it? Aren’t we supposed to decry the bad stuff we see in the world? Aren’t we supposed to point it out? There’s certainly a time and place for that. But I wonder if we haven’t become more focused on condemning the world around us rather than helping the world see the saving power of relationship with Jesus.
I propose that if we were to spend less time identifying all that is wrong with the world and spent more time showing others what is right with Jesus, we would be a better influence on behalf of our King and His Kingdom.
We must show others the value of relationship with Christ. If we can lead people to relationship with Jesus, showing them the value of that relationship, we will join in the divinely inspired process of leading them to salvation. In authentic relationship with Jesus, they will want to do things that make Him happy, things that express their love for Him. If they do something that offends, hurts, or angers Him, he will convict them, rather than condemn. This is good news for them. Its good news for us too, because its one less thing on our “Christian To-Do List.” So if you want to be a person of influence in your world, go ahead and mark “___ Condemn the World” off your list, and show others the value of relationship with Jesus, by living out that relationship with Him right there in front of them.
That’s influence.
Ready. Set. Go.
B E H I N D / T H E / B A R 
beautifully stated.