Stewarding our Influence

A few weeks ago at church, I walked away from the sermon stewing on our partnership in India. One of the applications I felt God impressing on me was how are we "stewarding and being responsible with the influence God has given us." Our pastor challenged us to consider that everyone has a certain influence over a certain area, and its given to us BY God and FOR God. It's not for us, it's for HIM.

A lot of times when I hear people talk about "influence", I think... well, that's reserved for the big leaders, or the mouthpieces... authors, pastors, CEOs, non-profits. But something God's been zeroing in on in my heart over the last year is I am responsible for my own actions before Him. No matter how small of a life I lead. Galatians 6:4-5 says, "Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won't need to compare yourself to anyone else. For we are each responsible for our own conduct."

So when I hear "influence" now... I'm thinking "what small influence do I have that God wants to speak into?" And it hit me: My sponsor child!

How am I stewarding the influence God has given me with my sponsor child? How am I being responsible with the influence God has given me with Roshan?

Sponsor Robin Inks with her precious Shobha!

I'm not responsible for whether or not our Unlikely group of sponsors serves all the children well. I am accountable before God for how I serve Roshan. We are each responsible for how we speak into the lives of Akash, and Himanshu, and Sumit, and Ravi, and sweet Priyanka...

God has given each one of us a tiny little bit of influence in the lives of our sponsor kids. And it's FOR Him. I pray He shows all of us how to steward that influence well.