We don’t always know the impact we may have on someone and we may not know the impact someone has on us until a much later date. My older brother had a huge impact on my eternal life, actually on my whole family’s eternal lives. He became a Christian while attending college. He came home with all these strange ideas about a relationship with Christ and being born again. I am pretty sure my parents first reaction was one of concern, has he joined a cult, and then just annoyance because of their own ignorance at the time.

I was 15 years old when my family traveled to Minnesota to visit my brother at college and attend this Christian Concert he kept talking about. That night at the concert I accepted Christ as my savior! Praise God!! I wish I could say my life immediately turned around, but it didn’t, Christ waited and continued to have people plant seeds in my life.

If you think about the impact my brother has had on Gods Kingdom it is amazing. My family and all of our children, our children’s children, etc. My brother had a very successful career in broadcasting, I am sure he was planting seeds then too. And today he is a realtor and football coach which gives him the opportunity to meet many different kinds of people. I am confident God continues to use him.

During bible study recently the speaker made a statement that has stuck with me. She was talking about how non-believers see Christians ad she said this, “Our relationship with Christ doesn’t matter, what matters is our resemblance to him.” As a believer my relationship with Christ is the most important thing in my walk with him. As a non-believer, a person doesn’t really care about my personal relationship I have but they can be intrigued with the way I react to certain situations and crisis that comes my way. You just don’t know and can’t imagine the impact that one simple gesture or kind word that can help leads a person to Christ. The way we present ourselves as Christians is of the utmost importance. It is never about me or you. It is so much bigger than that. It isn’t about rule keeping or rule breaking. It isn’t about passing judgment or being the judge and jury. It isn’t about a pulpit and the numbers of people who hear you preach. It is about Love. Love that makes a person curious, love that is free flowing, and love that is always present and shows itself first when conflict arises. Love that demonstrates itself in a simple gesture, which can lead to a question, and then to a conversation, that then plants a seed.
Our desire to resemble Christ can have a huge Impact. This Thanksgiving impact is what I am thankful for. I pray that my actions will follow my hearts desire and I will have impact with my family, friends, strangers, believers and non-believers.

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. John 13:34 (NIV)