|
What's your zone? What's your friendliness zone? 3 feet? 5 feet? 10 feet? 200 feet? If you're walking in a store, a park, the workplace or church parking lot or bike riding, when & how often & to whom do you say hello to? You have a sphere of influence. Where can you make a difference in others' lives? Wherever you're at, that is your sphere. But it's how you actually extend yourself within that sphere that makes a difference. That's your friendliness zone. What is yours? I'm sitting on a park bench reading & a man walked by while talking on his cellphone & broke his conversation to say hello to me at 3 feet of distance. How nice! How friendly & warm! Get your "friendly" out. Say hello & smile to people. Spread some care & sunshine. Open up & get to know people. I sat in Panera's one day firing up my laptop & noticed the man next to me working on his. I just popped out & said, "What are you working on?" He pleasantly opened up & shared about his project & that he was a wardrobe salesman at a large department store for many years. We talked about people's personalities, temperaments & communicating with others & about the technology he was trying to keep up with. It was a pleasant & perky conversation & I got to bless & encourage him in who he is & in what he does. Change today's culture. I challenge you to increase how you extend yourself in friendliness within your sphere of influence. It takes nothing to come up with a random comment or question to someone & a conversation may be opened. In those few comments or conversation, you can bless with seeds of love or the full gospel of Jesus. Everyone in the places you shop are lives God has put you in contact with. Get to know those people, their names and their lives. Interface with them in concern. How are we to change the world with the love of God if we're not close enough with them to share it with in life's interactions? You are the message of Christ, so speak up, relate & be relatable. You can also ask God to increase your territory (your sphere of influence). Then shorten up your friendliness zone within that. I call you "Mr. Friendly" & "Mrs. Friendly!" "Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, "Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain." And God granted his request (1 Chronicles 4:10). 
1 Comment
If you would believe in yourself like God believes in you, you will prosper and cause others to prosper. Believe that He has chosen you for good works because He entrusted you to carry something this world needs so that they may also increase. Believe that He has blessed you with skills, talents, wisdom and spiritual gifts to increase others. He believes in you because He believes in Himself in you. It is impossible that He did not chose you for something! God doesn’t create for nothing nor does He save and make us new creations for nothing! Discover your identity in Christ, know who you are and do what He has given you plans, authority and trust to do. This is where greater fulfillment is. #discoverwhoyouareinHim #believe #castoutdoubt #sabotagefearnotyourself #carryitout "For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do" (Ephesians 2:10).   I used to be in Sales and Advertising Sales. Actually, we are all in Sales. We are selling ourselves to others all throughout life. We sell ourselves at an interview, to our children when we are promoting chores instead of Xbox, to a friend to see one movie over another, or to a significant other in a marriage proposal. (Actually, I was bought and returned on that one once, but it’s all okay now.) The list goes on.
There is a common sales and advertising slogan. “You’ll be so glad you did.” You’ll be so glad you bought my product. You’ll be so glad you’ve invested in my service. This saying has always stuck with me and I now apply it to more situations than selling or making money. “You’ll be so glad you did.” My friends may even hear me say or write it. I wonder if they know I am trying to persuade them when I do. This is where the saying really fits well. You will be so glad you did not sin. You will be so glad you did not eat those extra snacks. You’ll be so glad you did not spend the extra money. You will be so glad you put in the extra time into that project. You will be so glad you did not say those extra words positioned to leap off your tongue. You’ll be so glad you gave more than you originally wanted to. You’ll be so glad you went the extra mile. You’ll be so glad you did not withhold. You’ll be so glad you did not disappoint God. You will be so glad you did not grieve the Lord. You will be so glad you did not take advantage of His blood that He shed for you. You will be satisfied. God will be pleased and you will be with peace. Satisfied. The word resonates sweetness. Generally, we are satisfied when we have no or few regrets. Isn’t that worth so much. So considering “You’ll be so glad you did” the next time you really want to do something and you know you shouldn’t is a good thing. Consider it too when you really don’t want to do something and know you should. Sell yourself on it. You’ll be so glad you did. You may have to refuse the urge several times of that thing you want to participate in. You may have to ask God several times for the grace and strength to withstand. You may have to say “Lord, make me willing.” And He will. Life cannot always or even frequently be about the immediate pleasure, but in long term prospering. Many times we cannot easily go back to change things. It may take a long time and much pain and prayer. I’ve been saying “NO” to a bag of chips all evening, and come tomorrow, I’ll not be wishing I had done differently. (And I’ll be so glad when my son eats them before me.) And this is where discipline and strength from the Lord comes in. Seek Him and it will be provided. “I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.” Psalm 59:16, 17 “All your commands are trustworthy;” Psalm 119:86 So consider all deeply…You’ll be so glad you did. #noregrets |
Wisdom & encouragement to share with others!
AuthorDenise Flynn writes about Singleness, Relationships, Goal Obtainment & the Christian walk. Order 
Archives
January 2022
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed