“Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask.“ (Philemon 21, NIV)
Paul wrote that line to a friend named Philemon. Philemon was a new Christian…but he was still working things out. There were some major issues in Philemon’s life that he hadn’t yet handed over to God. Paul heard of this and wrote Philemon to encourage him to make the change. It would mean that Philemon must repent, admit that he was wrong, and the change would cost Philemon money.
Paul was an influencer – he wanted to help his friend grow. He wanted to help his friend do what was right. Did you notice the tool Paul used? He didn’t threaten Philemon. He didn’t play on his authority. He told Philemon: “Here’s the right thing to do. I believe in you. I have faith that you’ll do what is right.”
One of the greatest tools we have when influencing others is having faith in them. Why? Because most folks don’t believe in themselves. Because most folks don’t have anyone that believes in them. And when we believe in others, they’ll tend to live up to our belief. Victor Frankl said: “If we take man as he is, we make him worse, but if we take him as he should be, we make him capable of becoming what he can be.”
At some point in our lives, we’ve all had someone believe in us…and we have been influenced positively by that person. God wants us to influence others for his Kingdom. Be like Paul with Philemon. Raise the bar and show confidence in them. They’ll reward that faith with influence.
Join us Sunday as we continue our discussion “Becoming a Person of Influence.”
