Influence From Within
30th APRIL 2024
For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. “Eat and drink!” he says to you, But his heart is not with you. Proverbs 23:7 NKJV
Leadership is often understood as having a level of influence over the people around you. However, influencing others would be impossible if you had no leadership over yourself. From the verse above, we can deduce that a person’s heart is what influences who he is or becomes.
The term ‘think in your heart’ seems biologically wrong at the very least, because thinking is ascribed to a function of the brain. However, to think in your heart refers to what you desire, what you invest in and what you allow to have influence over your life.
The kind of person you become is a direct result of the thoughts of your heart.
The Bible describes the heart of man as desperately wicked. How then do we exert positive influence and leadership over others when we are internally corrupt? This is where the work of the Holy Spirit is apparent. As children of God, when we receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit, we undergo a transformation process; our hearts of stone are exchanged for hearts of flesh and the more we continue to obey the leading of the Spirit, the more the desires of our heart are aligned to the desires of God’s heart. As a result, our leadership brings a good influence on those around us.
We must be intentional about the kind of leaders we become. We have to ensure that we are continuously allowing the Holy Spirit to work on our hearts, so we, in turn, can lead others from the inside out.
Dear Father, thank You for the work the Holy Spirit is doing in my life to ensure that the thoughts of my heart align with Your desires.
Further Reading : Proverbs 4:23
Bible In One Year: 2 Chronicles[2–5]
