Who do you influence on a daily basis?  Who notices your actions, your words, your attitude, or your responses?  If you had to rate  your level of influence, what ranking would you receive?  There are three things that I have learned about influence.  We all have it.  We all control it.  And what you do with it is all that really matters.

One of the most neglected aspects of our life is our failure to realize the impact that our influence actually contains.  We get too self-centered and our focus stays more on our self.  Jackie Robinson said it best when he stated, “A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.”  Stand in the middle of your circle.  Look around.  What do  you see? How deep is your circle of influence?  Does your circle engulf those around you or are they thirsting to death?

I heard Dabo Swinney, coach of the National Champion Clemson Tiger football team, speak at an FCA banquet on Tuesday night. He talked about this very thing and is why it has been on my heart,  in my mind, and constantly lifted up in prayer.  We are accountable to those in our circle.  The people that God has placed in that circle need something that, often times, only we can provide.  Why would we ever deprive someone of that opportunity.

My challenge is that we all take a look around and decide to be what we were created to be and impact those around us with the gifts and talents we have been given!  I often catch myself needing to put my “self on the shelf.”  I need to quit looking at me and look out.  The only thing the mirror has ever told me is that I have food on my face and that I have more wrinkles than I used to.  Not being aware of our circle of influence is not an excuse.  Look around you.  Put your self on the shelf and realize that what your circle needs most is you.  Impact lives.  Be bold.  Pray big prayers.  Increase your circle but most importantly, care for the circle you have.  God is giving you the opportunity to put your self aside and impact others.  Don’t waste it.