Growing up in the scenic area of Northwest Arkansas, I was no stranger to the idea of trudging through the forest looking for the next great adventure. My friends and I would spend hours taking in both the splendor and challenge nature had to offer that day. My best friend is what many would call “hardcore,” the type that can survive the most challenging elements and come out victorious. While exploring nature, he had etched into our minds: “our trail should look like we weren’t here after we leave.” He wasn’t wrong when it came to leaving a natural trail. Unfortunately, that’s how many of us live our lives spiritually. We may not intentionally try to erase the impact we have had, but if we live without intention, we will tragically live and die without a trace of impact on the people around us.
In this series of posts, we have been unpacking the critical values of a winning team. If we want to win, we must be intentional about influence. We have introduced you to seven questions and now have reached our fourth – Have I lived in my life in a way that I have unique trails of influence? If your answer is yes, we must ask: Am I willing to leverage my influence for the sake of the King? If my answer is no, we must ask: Are you ready to live with a new level of intentionality? It is impossible to live with Christ-filled intention and not grow in influence. Kingdom winners live with an extreme degree of intentionality and allow their influence to be leveraged for Jesus.
John Wesley rode far enough on horseback to circle the earth ten times. Talk about “trails.” He rode 250,000 miles! John believed it was essential for him to personally spread the gospel through relationships and continue to grow closer to God in those relationships. He is quoted saying: “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.”
Very few of us will circle the earth on horseback ten times, as Wesley did, but our influence in the next mile we walk could have an earth-shattering impact on someone’s life, marriage, business, or eternal outcome.
What would God have you do with the trail you’re walking today? Here are three coaching points for your next mile:
1. Walk with expectation – God is looking for ambassadors.
2. Walk with humility – Your influence isn’t about your increase but His increase.
3. Walk with a team – It’s much more fun to blaze trails together than alone.
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