How great is your influence? Adventures in Missions emphasizes the importance of feedback on the mission field. Everyday during our “team time” we have a time where we can give each other both positive and constructive feedback. I was honestly so skeptical when I first learned of it and definitely did not look forward to the first few feedback sessions. However, God has changed my heart and I have learned to appreciate it greatly. In the past couple weeks our team has been more open about giving constructive feedback to each other. Well, God sure has made it obvious what it is that I need to work on in my life. In a short amount of time, THREE different people have given me basically the exact same constructive feedback but in their own words. To summarize, my teammates have told me that I am a huge influencer and leader. That when I speak, people listen, or when I do something, people follow. However, sometimes my influence can be negative and sway people to negative opinions. They encouraged me to be sure that I am using this influence to bring life and positivity. I had absolutely no idea how great my influence was. So not only am I extremely grateful that my teammates have enlightened that aspect of my life, but I’ve also realized how much I need to pay attention to my actions, words, and examples. Complaining or being negative are two things I definitely need to work on. If people are going to listen and follow me, I need to make sure that I am guiding them with words and actions that are true, uplifting, and encouraging. After receiving this feedback, I realized that you never know who is watching or who is listening. I think it is so important to assure that our actions and examples are leading those around us in the right direction. So, I’ll ask again, how great is your influence and is it positive or negative? It is probably more than you thought & never forget, your words and actions ARE POWERFUL. Proverbs 8: 6-9 “Listen, for I have worthy things to say; I open my lips to speak what is right. My mouth speaks what is true, for my lips detest wickedness. All the words of my mouth are just; none of them is cooked or perverse. To the discerning all of them are right; they are faultless to those who have knowledge.”
