Leadership

Using Your Influence for Good

Leadership
March 31, 2025 by Stan Ponz No Comments

Views: 600

Everything you have is a gift from God. God has given you your family, health, ministry, business, and even freedom. 

If God didn’t give you the ability to work for what you have, you wouldn’t have anything. 

God expects you to be a good steward of everything he has given, including your Influence. He wants you to use your Influence to help others. 

John Maxwell reduces the meaning of leadership to one word, Influence. Not bad, really. This means anyone can be a leader; all they need to do is be an influencer…influence others for good.

What is Influence? It’s not fame. You can be famous and not influential. Many people know celebrities, but they don’t care what they think. It’s also not wealth. You can’t buy Influence.

The Cambridge Dictionary defines Influence as the power “to affect how someone or something develops, behaves, or thinks.” God expects you to use that kind of Influence for good.

How can you do that? Start with these three steps.

  1. Recognize your Influence.

Everyone has Influence. You’re likely aware of some of your Influence at church and home. 

Yet you might not be aware of all the Influence you have. You influence everyone you come into contact with, such as your relatives, neighbors, and even casual acquaintances. 

When you enter a store, you can make or break the cashier’s day by what you say and do. The same applies to mail carriers, ushers, and salespeople you meet daily. 

You either influence people for Christ or against Christ all the time. God calls us to be good stewards of every kind of Influence we have. Paul writes, “Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done…” (Galatians 6:4 NLT).

Until you can see the Influence you already have, you can’t begin to wield and maximize your Influence for good.

  1. Exercise your Influence.

Our lives would have much more Influence if we became more intentional in how we use it. Your Influence is like a muscle. You’ll either use it or lose it.

These five actions can help you use your Influence and slowly grow it. They start small with simple steps and progress to more complex actions. The final one may even cost you your life one day. The more effort you put in, the greater your Influence will be.

    • Smile at people. Anyone can do this. Smiling has an incredible impact on the people in your life. When you smile at someone, they smile at you. That means you’ve influenced them and affected their day. 
    • Sympathize with people. Show emotional support, encouragement, and care in people’s lives. When you show people you care, you open the door for Influence within their life. 
    • Serve people. God’s economy says the greater you serve someone, the greater your influence on them. Serving people takes effort because you can’t do it from a distance. 
    • Speak up. Psalm 107:2 reminds us, “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so” (KJV). You can’t be afraid to discuss your relationship with Christ to influence others openly.  
    • Sacrifice. You can’t live a comfortable life if you want to have Influence. You’ll need to make sacrifices to influence the world. While this can mean huge, life-altering sacrifices, it often means everyday sacrifices in the normal activities of life.
  1. Maximize your Influence.

Do your best to develop and expand your Influence. At first, that might seem arrogant, but you aren’t expanding your Influence for your own sake. God himself tells us to maximize our Influence. The Bible says, “See then that you walk circumspectly…as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” (Ephesians 5:15, 16 NKJV).

Instead of being selfish, you’re expanding your Influence for Jesus’ sake. That’s the reason you exist. Otherwise, he’d take you straight to heaven when you get saved.

You only have two legitimate reasons to expand your Influence—to help people and to share Christ with others. Any other reason is selfishness.

Psalm 72 states Solomon prayed when he was the wealthiest and wisest person in the world. It sounds arrogant for him to then pray for more power and Influence. But Solomon’s prayer is anything but selfish.

Notice what Solomon wants to do with his Influence. He wants to help society’s most vulnerable. He prays, “For He will deliver the needy when he cries, the poor also, and him who has no helper. He will spare the poor and needy, and will save the souls of the needy.” (Psalm 72:12-13 NKJV).

God expects us to use the Influence he has given us to speak up for those who can’t speak up for themselves. 

You might not think you have much Influence right now. You feel you’re serving in the middle of nowhere and have limited impact.

That couldn’t be further from the truth. Remember the story of Moses. He was an ordinary shepherd on the backside of the desert. But Moses obeyed when God told him to give up his staff—the source of his identity, income, and Influence as a shepherd. 

Throughout the rest of Moses’ life, God used that same staff to do miracles, like turning the water of the Nile into blood and splitting the Red Sea. 

Moses gave what little he had to God so that he could influence the world for good and for God. The world was never the same again.

Are you ready to lay down everything to use your Influence for God?

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Reading time: 4 min
Leadership

The Five Signs of Spiritual Maturity

Leadership
March 24, 2025 by Stan Ponz No Comments

Views: 563

Whether in ministry, business, or any profession, and even if you are retired, God wants all of us to grow in maturity. Maturity is one of His expectations for our lives. In fact, Hebrews 6:1 tells us, “Let us press on to maturity” (NASB). The Lord intends for us to seek our spiritual life development to “be conformed to the image of His Son” (Romans 8:29 NKJV).  

One of God’s five purposes for your leadership is to help your team, and others grow in spiritual maturity. But there’s a lot of confusion about what Christian maturity looks like. As you make disciples, you must clearly understand what it means to grow and become more like Jesus. 

Maturity isn’t about age. You can be a Christian for 50 years and still not be mature. God doesn’t want us to grow old in Christ.  He wants us to grow up in Christ!

Maturity isn’t about appearance. Some people may look spiritually mature, but they aren’t. Just because someone appears dignified, it doesn’t mean they are holy. 

Maturity isn’t about achievement. You can accomplish much without being mature in your faith. 

Maturity isn’t about academics. A Bible college, seminary degree, or one from a prestigious university won’t make you spiritually mature. 

Comparing yourself to anyone else won’t make you mature. You become mature by comparing yourself to the Word of God. The book of James is a handbook on how to be mature.

It gives us five signs of spiritual maturity.

  1. A mature person is positive under pressure. “Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing”(James 1:2-4 NLT).

    Becoming a Christian by faith alone in Christ doesn’t mean you won’t face troubles. The question isn’t whether you’ll experience problems but how you respond to them. Do you get worried, tense, negative, or even hostile? Do you grumble and mumble about them?

    Even if you are full of Bible knowledge, you can still be grumpy under pressure. A mature Christian can be under stress and still be joyful.
  2. A mature person is sensitive to people.“If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself,’ you do well” (James 2:8 NKJV).

    When children are immature, they are entirely focused on themselves. But mature people don’t just see their own needs; they see the needs of others. 

    Jesus tells us in Matthew 25:31-46 that we’ll be judged for how we treat others—not how many Bible verses we know or how often we attend church or small group Bible studies. 
  1. A mature person has mastered his mouth. “For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body.” (James 3:2 NKJV). 

    When you go for a checkup, doctors often say, “Stick out your tongue.” The doctor looks at your tongue to check your health. Do you know that God does that spiritually, too?

    James 3 gives us several illustrations regarding the tongue. The chapter calls it a bridle to a horse (3:3), a rudder to a ship (3:4), and a spark to a fire (3:5-6). James 3:8 says, “But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.” (NKJV).

    Earlier in the book, James writes:“If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless.” (James 1:26 NJKV). Gossip, spreading rumors, and constant negative talk are signs you’re immature in the faith.
  1. A mature person is a peacemaker, not a troublemaker. “What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you?” (James 4:1 NLT). 

    Don’t we all know Christians who instead of making peace, they make trouble? It isn’t a Christian virtue to cause conflict. In fact, the opposite is true. It’s a sign of immaturity. 

    James tells us pride, selfishness, and judgmentalism are the three most significant sources of conflict in our lives. They prevent us from the Christ-like maturity Jesus expects us to pursue. Pride keeps us from admitting we’re wrong. Judgmentalism puts us in place of God. 

    Christian maturity means saying no to prideful, selfish, and judgmental attitudes that regularly cause conflict.
  2. A mature person is patient and prayerful. “Dear brothers and sisters, be patient as you wait for the Lord’s return. Consider the farmers who patiently wait for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They eagerly look for the valuable harvest to ripen. You, too, must be patient. Take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near” (James 5:7-8 NLT).

    Patience and prayerfulness go together. They show an attitude of dependence upon the Lord that marks a mature believer. As James 5 notes, it’s a description that farmers understand. Farmers do a lot of waiting. You won’t find any overnight crops. We must wait for God to work in our lives. If you can’t wait, you can’t be patient. Patience is a critical sign of maturity.

As you’re attempting to influence people to grow spiritually, don’t become a victim to thinking that those in your church, ministry, or where you work who know the most Scripture are also spiritually mature. Instead, observe how God is transforming their character. Ask yourself:

  • How does this person handle problems?
  • Is this person sensitive to other people?
  • How effectively does this person tame his or her tongue?
  • Is this person a peacemaker or a troublemaker?
  • Does this person pray without giving up?

Then ask yourself the same questions about your maturity.

That’s the kind of person who is mature and growing in Christlikeness.

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Reading time: 5 min
Leadership

How to Find Joy in Your Relationships

Leadership
March 17, 2025 by Stan Ponz No Comments

Views: 474

Relationships are at the heart of every ministry and business…and should be of every leader.  Every task is somehow connected to a person, so relationships are essential.  Whether those relationships are with your family, faith-family, colleagues at work, or community, having joy in them makes them a little bit sweeter too!  If not, you’ll be miserable in life and ministry if your relationships aren’t healthy.

God wants us to enjoy the people in our lives.  In the book of Philippians, Paul models four principles to help us find joy in our relationships. 

  1. Be grateful for the good in people.“I thank my God upon every remembrance of you” (Philippians 1:3 NKJV).

Instead of focusing on the bad memories, Paul focused on the good memories he had.  And if you recall in Acts 16, you’ll remember the bad memories Paul could have focused on while he was in Philippi but didn’t.  He was arrested, whipped, humiliated, and thrown in prison.  While in prison, there was an earthquake.  Then the Roman officials in the town asked him to leave.  Paul had a rough time in Philippi, but he chose to focus on what he was grateful for. 

To follow Paul’s example, we don’t need to deny the hurts in our lives.  Neither do we need to excuse the weaknesses of others.  Instead, focus on the good and emphasize the strengths of other people.

  1. Practice positive praying.“Always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy” (Philippians 1:4 NKJV).

If you pray positively for people, you will change your attitude and the other person’s.  People may resist our advice, spurn our appeals, reject our suggestions, and not accept our help, but they are powerless against our prayers!

In Philippians 1:9-11 (NKJV), Paul models four ways to pray positively for others.

    1. Pray they will grow in love. “Your love may abound.” (This phrase means to overflow, like a tidal wave.)
    2. Pray they make wise choices. “In knowledge and all discernment.”
    3. Pray they will do the right thing. “Be sincere and without offense.”
    4. Pray they will live for God’s glory. “Being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.”

Most of us are good at praying for people in crisis, but let’s commit to praying specifically and regularly for people who may struggle in these four areas.  Doing so will transform our relationships with them.

  1. Be patient with people’s progress.“Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;” (Philippians 1:6 NKJV).

Paul considered people’s future, not just their past.  He looked at their potential and was patient with their progress.

Humanity is a great starter but a lousy finisher.  It leaves unfinished symphonies, buildings, books, and projects.  People don’t always finish what they start, but God always finishes what He starts.

We should model God’s patience with people’s progress.  To enjoy people, we must give them room to grow and develop, just as God does with us.

  1. Love people from the heart.“For God is my witness, how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:8 NKJV).

Loving people begins with understanding why they act the way they do.  You can’t love people you don’t understand.  If you care, you’ll be aware.

You get understanding by asking questions and then listening to the responses. 

Understanding people helps you love them better, but it still doesn’t get you to the love Paul described in Philippians 1:8.  Paul said he loved the church of Philippi “with the tender compassion of Christ Jesus” (NLT).  Only Jesus—working through you—can love people like that. 

God’s love isn’t something you can force.  It’s a gift you get as you let the Holy Spirit work through you. “The love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” (Romans 5:5 NKJV).

Life is too short not to enjoy the people in your life, especially those you serve and lead.  If you don’t learn to enjoy those the Lord has placed in your life, you will be miserable.  That’s why you need to learn how to respond to them as Jesus did. 

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Reading time: 3 min
Leadership

What Fear Can Do To Leaders

Leadership
March 10, 2025 by Stan Ponz No Comments

Views: 366

There is always risk-taking in leadership. You don’t need to indulge every risk in front of you, but you do need to take every risk God wants you to take, even when you’re afraid. 

Maybe you’re uprooting your family like I did to go somewhere new to add to what the Lord is doing with Make It Clear Ministries. Or you’re starting a brand-new ministry or business opportunity, and you have no idea how you’ll fund it. Opportunities like these will require you to take risks with a large portion of faith because “without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6 NIV). 

Why is it important to the Lord that we learn to take risks? Because He wants us to learn to trust Him. And we can’t lead others to live by faith if we refuse to do it ourselves.

Throughout the Bible, God calls people to take risks in faith. In Exodus 14, before the Israelites crossed the Red Sea with the Egyptians in pursuit, they became fearful. Here are four things we learn from the Israelites about fear.

    1. Fear makes us skeptical. 

“[The Israelites] said to Moses, ‘Why did you bring us out here to die in the wilderness?’” (Exodus 14:11 NLT). When we’re afraid, we begin to doubt and pull back from taking risks. We doubt ourselves. We doubt God. In fact, fear is a common problem for skeptics and those who don’t know the Lord well. They often ridicule what they’re afraid of.

    1. Fear makes us selfish.

“What have you done to us?” (Exodus 14:11 NLT). Fear makes leaders only think of themselves—not other people. The Israelites could only think of the problems they were facing. We often do the same when we’re afraid. We’re quick to accuse others, excuse ourselves, blame other people, and run from responsibility.

    1. Fear makes us stubborn. 

“Didn’t we tell you this would happen while we were still in Egypt? We said, ‘Leave us alone!’” (Exodus 14:12 NLT). We resist change when we’re afraid. The Israelites told Moses, “Don’t rock the boat. Don’t mess with the status quo. We’ve always done it this way.” Fear keeps people and churches from growing because it causes us to be stubborn. It keeps us from admitting our mistakes. The old saying is true: “The hardest thing to open is a closed mind.”

    1. Fear makes us short-sighted.

“It’s better to be a slave in Egypt than a corpse in the wilderness!” (Exodus 14:12 NLT). When the Israelites were confronted with the Red Sea, they wanted to go back to the “good old days” in Egypt. They wanted to retreat.

Fellow leader, fear will make you want to retreat, too, keeping you from being all God wants you to be. It’ll limit your talents. It’ll cause you to pull back. 

Remember what happened to the disciples in John 20 after Jesus had been crucified? The disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish authorities. They were afraid. That’s what fear does; it always locks doors from the inside. 

And fear will limit your potential. 

Paul Tournier says it like this: “All of us have vast reservoirs of full potential. But the road that leads to those reservoirs is guarded by the dragon of fear.” 

God has a great work planned for you on the other side of your fear. Are you ready to step into it?

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Reading time: 2 min
Leadership

The Power of Appreciation

Leadership
March 3, 2025 by Stan Ponz No Comments

Views: 234

“[I]do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers:”
Ephesians 1:16 (NKJV)

It’s not complicated to work well with others. You just must learn to appreciate them! 

How do you appreciate others? It’s easy. First, you recognize someone’s value and contribution to you and others. Then, you habitually tell them, “Thank you.”  

Nehemiah recognizes four practical ways to demonstrate appreciation for others:

Recognize each person by name. When you express appreciation to the people in your life who are adding value to you and others, don’t just say, “You are doing a great job. Thanks!” Get specific, as Nehemiah did by singling out at least 71 people for unique appreciation and calling each one by name.

Recognize specific work that is done. People experience genuine appreciation when you identify the particulars of their work. Just telling them, they did a good job isn’t enough. It’s better to say, “I’m blessed by you doing this specific thing.” 

Nehemiah recognized the detailed work done by the people. He said, “Moreover Jehoiada the son of Paseah and Meshullam the son of Besodeiah repaired the Old Gate; they laid its beams and hung its doors, with its bolts and bars.” (Nehemiah 3:6 NKJV). The Bible reveals that details do matter!

Recognize great attitude. It’s not difficult to observe great attitudes in a world filled with nasty attitudes. In Nehemiah 3:20, Nehemiah identified one man for his great perspective: “Baruch…carefully repaired the other section, from the buttress to the door of the house…”  (NKJV).

When you call attention to the heart and eagerness of others, it replenishes their energy and stimulates new energy in others. This way, you could end up having more people assisting you with the vision God gives you.

Recognize extra effort. Meremoth was mentioned twice in Nehemiah for doing more than was expected of him. He began by repairing the fish gate. Next, he “repaired another section” (Nehemiah 3:21 NKJV). Nehemiah recognized Meremoth’s extra work and wanted others to notice too. 

Many people have done more than expected to serve others and do their jobs well. I enjoy pointing out their contributions and telling them how much they are appreciated. Sometimes it’s just a conversation. Other times it can be a card or a note. But it has become a habit of noticing the efforts and attitudes of others, recognizing their perseverance, and encouraging them not to give up.

It takes work to live with an attitude of gratitude and a spirit of appreciation. You can begin doing this today!

Action Steps

  • How does my attitude toward work influence the people around me?
  • Why do I think people do not take time and effort to recognize others’ good work? 

Identify those who go the extra mile in my life. Maybe it’s someone in my family, at church, or at work. I will make plans to personally express my appreciation to them this week for being an “extra mile” person.

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Reading time: 2 min

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