ImpactSample

One day I had the distinct impression I should write down how I thought people perceived me. I had heard a pastor ask the question: “If you were to die today, what would people say about you?” I used that question as my jumping-off point. I picked up my pen and wrote, “dynamic,” “leader,” “strong,” “gifted,” “passionate,” and a few other words. After about the eighth one, I looked at the list and thought, “Cool! That’s exactly the reputation I want.”

At that moment, a question came to mind that I’m pretty sure was from God Himself: “Where’s love on your list?”

I looked again at the list, and I thought, I just wrote what I want people to say about me, and what I think a lot of people would say, but love didn’t make the list. There’s something wrong—very wrong—about that. 

Instantly, I realized I was trying to project an image of success instead of truly caring for the people God had entrusted to me. I picked up my pen again. I marked through all the words on my list, and I wrote “LOVE” over all the scribbles. At that moment, I made a commitment that loving people well would be my vision, my goal, and my hope for the rest of my life. To make it very practical, I’ve made it my goal that in every encounter, I want people to walk away from me feeling loved, believed in, encouraged, and built-up. This, I realized later, is how God has always wanted me to influence people. And much later, I understood love is both the fuel and the goal of exponential leadership. I can’t be the kind of leader God wants me to be unless I have their best interests at heart, not mine. From that time until today, when I preach, I’m not speaking so people will appreciate what a wonderful orator I am; I’m speaking so each person grasps the grace of God so deeply that they live to communicate His love to everyone they know. Of course, I want my sermons to be well-crafted and powerful, but the goal of my study isn’t to bring attention to me. This perspective changed me, my motives, my vision for each message, my words, and ultimately, my impact.