You Were Meant to be Sticky

Fresh Manna 2010© by Pastor Tim Burt

Have you ever known a child that doesn’t love cotton candy? I haven’t. One thing that sticks out in my mind when I think of cotton candy is sticky hands. I remember that every time the kids and I ate it, we’d have to lick our hands over and over to get rid of that stickiness, and even then they were still sticky. It seemed that from the time we were done eating it till we washed our hands, our hands stuck to everything we touched.

There is something else that is just as sticky in our lives. It’s our influence. When people think influence they usually think of people in high places. The truth is that God created each and every one of us to have influence at whatever level we are. Having influence for God is what our lives are all about.

Influence can be misused, and when it is it has disastrous results. Prov 29:12 says, “If a ruler listens to lies, all his officials become wicked.” The world has learned that a corrupted ruler will pass on that corruption. Likewise the most common reason well-behaved children take a turn down a wrong path is because of the negative influence of other friends. Add to that the negative influences of vile music, defiling video media, and drugs and alcohol and children can really turn in a wrong direction. 1 Cor 15:33 says “Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”

From the time a person gives His life to Jesus Christ the operation of influence takes on higher significance. God wants the realization of our God-given privilege of influence to bring real purpose and true significance to our lives.

People get concerned about titles, positions, power, and greatness. God would rather have us focus and be sensitive to the opportunities we have been given to influence others. He wants people to see Jesus in us. For this reason, He doesn’t want us ‘on’ and ‘off’ like a light switch. When you walk into a grocery store or sit down in a restaurant, He wants people to sense God’s love from you. That happens not because you stopped to preach at them. It happens because you stopped to look them in the eyes and respond with a smile and kindness. It happens because you asked them how their day was going, even though they are there to serve you. It happens because you took a moment to bring light into their life through your kind words or actions. This is the influence that God uses to draw people into His love.

Quit thinking of a ruler as someone that looks like a king and instead think of it as you—the ruler of your life. Never believe the lie that your life doesn’t matter and that you can’t impact someone’s life. Every person’s influence touches and sticks to others—good or bad. God created you and I to be a sticky godly influence for Him. Count it a great joy and walk in it!

2 Cor 5:18-20 “…God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.”

In His love,
Pastor Tim