“No one is so insignificant as to be without influence.”
This quote by Betty Carlson in her book, From the Mountains of L’Abri, has stayed with me for forty years. It summarizes in a nutshell the reality that we are all interconnected and every single person, no matter how seemingly small, has the potential to influence others, often for great good.
Today I want to apply this truth to men and ask the question, how can we maximize our influence for Christ and become “High Impact Christian Men”?
Let’s begin by describing what a high impact Christian man does.
A high impact Christian man leaves people with the impression that Jesus Christ Himself has just visited them and spoken to them.
This kind of man creates an intriguing mixture of both respect and revulsion, attraction and repulsion, in non believers around him. By his mere presence, they subconsciously recognize that Someone is summoning them to something higher–something and Someone they should love but don’t–and leave behind something lower–something and someone they should not love, but do.
This is because the Christian man himself has Jesus Christ living in him, and he is living in Christ. His mind is focused on Him. He loves Jesus and he loves like Jesus. Often, without even explicitly saying anything “Christian,” his demeanor, his attitude and his actions convey love, holiness and transparency. And when people do learn that he is a Christian, their reaction often is, “Of course! That explains everything.”
So how does a Christian man become this kind of high impact Christian man? Here are some suggestions.
Learn everything you can about the Word of God so that you begin to think biblically.
A daily devotional of say fifteen minutes a day of Bible reading is fine as far as it goes. But to really allow the Word of God infuse your mind so that you naturally think with a biblical world view, you need to memorize long passages and study entire books. Master the Bible so that it masters you. One way to do this is to take online Bible courses. Men of the Word is one online Bible Study resource for men I highly recommend. And a good way to memorize Scripture is to find a friend to memorize with.
The ability to call up the Word of God and think about it at any point during the day is critical to becoming a high impact Christian man. “His delight is in the Law of the Lord, and in His Law he meditates day and night,” i.e., he thinks about it all the time. (Psalm 1:2 NIV, italics mine)
Allow the Spirit of God to deal with your heart.
As you study and meditate on the Word, ask the Spirit of God to show you areas where you are not conformed to God’s Word and will. Deal with ongoing, besetting sin by finding someone to confess it to and who will encourage you and hold you accountable over time.
Get around other high impact Christian men.
Find the most mature men in your church and get together with them for fellowship. Follow their examples in their spiritual walks and in their personal marriage and family relationships.
Apply biblical principles to your daily relationships.
Learn how the love of Christ applies to your own wife and children and then do it. Apply the love of Christ to your neighbors, even to your fellow workers and boss.
Say less, do more.
Non Christians think Christianity is just empty words and emotion. Therefore, when you’re around non believers, focus on loving them and be ready to share your faith when the subject comes up. Adorn the gospel with your life and they will want to hear more.
Meet the pressing needs around you.
And finally, remember that you were saved to do good works. This means that God is calling you to meet whatever pressing needs exist around you. By doing so you will create the “ultimate apologetic” for your faith and prove to everyone around you that God “has sent His Son into the world.”
What kind of “high impact Christian men” have you known? What qualities would you add to my description? What would you add to the process of becoming a high impact Christian man.
This post originally appeared in NewCommandment.org.
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