Part 3: Speak with Conviction

Acts 20:20 You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. 21 I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.

Creating lasting influence with limited time requires you to engage your mouth. I want you to notice that Paul was not satisfied to just live a Godly example but He employed his words as well. Our mouths follow our passion and speak our convictions. We talk about what we are passionate about. If we are really following Christ, at some point, His influence on us should cause us to have a verbal influence on others.

Paul spoke what was helpful and not just what was popular. If you want to leave the correct influence on those following you, you must ask this question: “Is what I am saying helpful?” The question is one step beyond “Is what I am say true?” Truth expressed with the wrong motivation can actually be harmful instead of helpful. If you win an argument but lose the soul of the person you are speaking to then you have lost.

A good example without a good explanation may actually cause people to miss the hope you have. They may believe that your good example is caused by your will power. They may believe that your good example is just another act of legalism or condemnation toward them. Without an explanation, your example may fail to connect others to the life of Jesus. You must employ your mouth to explain to others that the power you have to live successfully is not of yourself but is from Christ. Further, you must communicate to them that His power is available to everyone.

Today’s Challenge: Realize that to create lasting influence you must speak truth in love to those around you. This may be you speaking about things that are not comfortable or popular. Remember that the point of sharing the truth is not to win an argument but rather to point the person towards Jesus. Ask the Lord to give you the right words to influence someone today with the love of Christ.